The Agony and the Ecstasy
by Storybelle
Summary: There were several things Naruto knew about the night of the party. He'd slept with Sasuke. He'd gotten drunk and done a lap dance. But unfortunately for him he's forgotten the rest of his and everyone else's actions. And he needs to remember. Fast.
1. The agony of waking up

He shouldn't have gone to sleep.

Naruto rolled over and groaned. He'd felt fine at three this morning – hell, he'd felt _great_ – but now his head felt like it had been steamrollered, his throat was dry and his lower back hurt in a way that was familiar but right now he couldn't think why.

Naruto knew from past experience to not move his head, not open his eyes, not do anything at all. _I should have not done all those shots,_ he thought muggily, attempting to open his eyes. But Kiba and the other guys were all there and what really could he do about it? He was drunk already and there weren't levels of drunkenness so what was a vodka shot or two? Well, more than two. And there was that cocktail that had sprouted of nowhere with everything alcoholic that was left poured into it... Naruto had drunken quite a lot of that, he remembered. And then he'd done a lap dance on the table...oh God, how come he always did that when he got drunk? And why did he always remember it? The fuzzy blackness that came with being very drunk would be useful at this point but it did not apply to table dances apparently.

And then...and then...

Naruto slumped back onto the pillow. Ok, might as well stay here and sleep it off, he mused. He curled up again under the thick duvet, wondering why on Earth his bed didn't have random magazines, crisp wrappers and crumbs in it like usual. This thought made him open his eyes pretty damn quick.

_Oh God, this is not my bed!!! I'm in someone else's room. Someone else's bed. Usually that means one thing only and that also means I've done it again..._ Naruto whimpered. See, how it usually goes is that he does a very kinky, shirtless lap dance and someone likes it so much Naruto usually gets offered another drink followed by a tongue down his throat.

This is not the first time Naruto's woken up hung-over in a strange bed next to a stranger anyway.

But was he? Naruto didn't turn to look if there was anybody there besides him in the king size bed. Also he couldn't actually hear anything over the sound of his own heartbeat and panicked breathing. The last time this had happened he'd ended up in bed with Neji. Jesus. Neji might not remember it clearly but Naruto sure did. If Naruto ever needed to blackmail Neji he had everything from that one night...

Neji! Of course. The party was at the house of a friend of Neji's. Naruto had never met the guy but a party was a party and at a huge mansion so Naruto couldn't resist.

This was Neji's fault, Naruto decided and accidentally brushed his left leg against something warm. Naruto almost shrieked and then screamed anyway when he realised that what he'd thought earlier was true.

_Oh my God, that's someone's leg._ Naruto slithered as far over as he could without falling off.

_Ok. On the count of three I'll look. And if it's Neji again I'll throw myself out of that window._ Slowly opening an eye and peeking over his shoulder all Naruto saw was a mound of white, the bumps and curves under the duvet suggesting legs, a waist and a torso and finally a head all buried under the soft cotton. Curious, Naruto twisted over and slid closer, tugging at the sheet.

"Fuck," Naruto said aloud, looking at the best looking man he's ever seen.

There was silky black hair fanning out across the pillow and his pale skin almost blended with the white material Naruto held in his hand. He was completely naked – and unless they'd been playing strip poker last night it was obvious how that came about – and sleeping peacefully on his side, leaving his neck wide open enabling Naruto to see the delicate black ink tattoo and a hickey.

_I gave him that,_ Naruto remembered. Vividly actually. It made him kind of aroused to think about it. They hadn't even made it back to the room yet because that would require them to stop kissing and _walk_. The guy was pressed up against the wall on the stairs with Naruto attached to his neck. For some reason Naruto wasn't wearing a shirt but the brunette seemed to appreciate this, running his hands over Naruto's chest and back.

Unwillingly Naruto started to grin. He cautiously reached out and touched the boy's soft dark hair, running his fingers through it. He didn't even stir.

_Heavy sleeper, huh? _Naruto mused, remembering that he'd screamed earlier and the brunette hadn't woken. His fingers slid down and brushed a porcelain cheek and jumped when the boy shifted, suddenly realised where he was and what he was doing. Naruto flung off the covers and bolted to the other side of the room, searching for his clothes. His jeans were easy to find by the door but his shirt was nowhere to be found. Seeing as he'd spent most of last night without it – even before the sex – this was no surprise but Naruto was beginning to panic. He briefly contemplated the mahogany wardrobe but then dismissed it: after all he didn't even know the guy's _name_ and nicking a t-shirt for his getaway was pushing it.

"Where do you think you're going?" a husky voice inquired and as Naruto hadn't heard the door open he knew who it had come from.

The boy was sitting up slightly, leaning casually on one arm. The duvet had been flung to one side and he didn't seem to care that he was totally naked or that Naruto couldn't stop staring at him, mouth open and all. He was smirking, his dark eyes full of lust and mischief. He slowly ran a hand through his hair that was sexy messy, half sticking up and his bangs hanging in his eyes.

"I have to...I mean..." Naruto swallowed and tried to look at his _face_ instead of his body. "I should go."

"Why? Last night was fun, don't you want a repeat?" the boy snickered at Naruto's flushed face. "Or don't you remember it?" Naruto silently shook his head, opting to stare at the floor. He didn't see the boy get up and stalk his way across the room. He didn't see him until several soft fingers gently brushed his cheek. Naruto gasped and grabbed the boy's hand. They stood there, staring at each other until the stranger broke the barriers and moved closer, pressing his naked body against Naruto's half dressed one. Naruto shivered and gasped as the stranger held them together, shaking off Naruto's loose grip and then winding his arms around Naruto's waist and holding him there. Naruto didn't know what to do with his hands and finally copied the boy's pose.

"I guess you were kind of drunk," the boy mused. "I had some trouble prying all those losers off you after that kinky dance you did." Naruto winced, now knowing for sure he'd done a lap dance for all to see.

"Yeah, I do that when I'm drunk," he gasped as their bare chests rubbed together. The grin grew wider and Naruto groaned slightly as a pair of lips nibbled on his earlobe.

"That's how we started by the way." The stranger picked up the commentary again.

"You were having some trouble saying 'no' to those freaks hanging off you so I rescued you and you...appreciated it." The boy's grin shifted to an appreciative leer and Naruto winced at what he might have done.

"Don't worry, it was anything disturbingly kinky or illegal if that's what you're wondering," the brunette said around a mouthful of Naruto's neck. Naruto was trying his best not to moan and beg to have an instant replay _right now _because if he did he got the feeling the boy would only be too happy to oblige and be pretty damn smug about it. So Naruto refused to cave.

"Nnnn..." Even if he did let one tiny moan out when a pair of hands slid into the loose gap between his jeans and his arse – hey, where was his underwear? – and squeezed what they found there. And Naruto could feel him smirking, dammit.

"Then what?" Naruto sniped. "I willingly fell into bed with you?" He was _snickering_! Oh my God, that jackass would pay...once Naruto regained control over his legs and stopped letting his dick make all the decisions.

"Yes, actually," the boy said in bemusement. "If you're that good a lay when you're drunk imagine what you'd be like when you're sober." Naruto was imagining that too, making his resolve weaken a little bit.

"Look, I don't even know your name!" Naruto tried. The boy stopped his attack on Naruto's senses to give him a look.

"That didn't bother you last night."

"Yeah, well, perv, I don't usually do lap dances just for the heck of it either!" Naruto spat, finding the strength to push the brunette away slightly. The raven watched him blankly before the glint came back and Naruto found himself pressed up against that extremely fit body again.

"Sasuke."

"Huh?" God, he could tell very well how much this jerk was into this even through his jeans and was busy trying to process this when he'd spoken.

"My name. Sasuke."

"Hi, Sasuke, lovely to meet you...are you totally CRAZY?! I'm still not gonna have sex with you!!" Naruto yelped as Sasuke's hand slid around the front of his jeans instead.

"Sto-stop it!" Naruto whimpered as the pale hand rested lightly on his crotch.

"Why should I" Sasuke whispered in his ear and gently licking the earlobe. "When you like it _this_ much..." The hand curled slightly and Naruto yelped.

"God, I hate you..." Naruto knew this was pathetic when it was half moaned and he was clinging to Sasuke like he was Naruto's last lifeline. Naruto clenched his eyes shut and tightened his grip around Sasuke's neck when Sasuke began to undo the button on his jeans and the traitorous voice in the back of Naruto's head thought it was such a beautiful sound and followed it up with all sorts of things they could spent this morning doing...

"Naruto!" Naruto's eyes opened and Sasuke turned his head slightly to look at the intruder.

"Neji," Sasuke said flatly, surprising Naruto that they knew each other. Neji stood there silently, taking in the scene before him. What he saw obviously didn't please him as he strolled forward and wrenched Naruto away. Surprisingly Sasuke let Naruto go as Neji ran his eyes over Naruto, apparently looking for something.

"What the _fuck_ do you think you're doing, Sasuke?" Neji hissed. Naruto realised that Neji's hand wrapped around his wrist was shaking in fury. God, was Sasuke some kind of drug dealer? Or, Jesus Christ no, a prostitute?! Though that did leave how Neji knew Sasuke looking not very good for Neji...

"We _were_ having fun," Sasuke replied sulkily, crossing his arms. That he was still naked didn't seem to bother him and Neji likewise paid no attention to it.

"He's my friend. What did you do to him?" Neji shouted. "I told you, I don't care who you screw but leave Naruto alone!" Sasuke's eyes hardened.

"You're my friend too," he replied with steel in his voice. "If we had some fun last night what gives you the right to inquire about what we did in private?"

"I don't want you near him. Naruto, do you hear me?" Neji turned to look at Naruto. "Stay away from him!" Sasuke was smirking.

"What are you? His mom? His jailer? Naruto's old enough to know who he should go near and stay away from."

"Naruto has no idea. He's too innocent to know anything about you and your 'friends,'" Neji snarled.

Wait, by innocent Neji didn't mean virginity, right? Cause he'd lost that a long time ago...

"It's just sex, Neji!" Sasuke yelled. "God, if you had it once in a while you wouldn't be so uptight. I've slept with your friends before so what the fuck is wrong with you?" Neji stopped shouting and glared at Sasuke with the coldest, scariest expression Naruto had ever seen him wear. If Neji didn't have a pincer-like grip on his arm right now Naruto would be hightailing it far away as possible.

"Because Naruto deserves better than you." Naruto saw it, the shock in Sasuke's eyes, flashing and then it was gone. The mask returned, the jaw was set in anger and a muscle clenched in his cheek.

"Sasuke, you're my friend but you have no morals at _all_. You sleep with whoever you like and then dump them the next day. You get mixed up in gangs and drugs and too much alcohol and you get by because of who you are and your money and your looks and brains. But Naruto doesn't have that and I certainatly don't want you treading on his heart and crushing it into tiny pieces like you have with everyone else. He's the closest thing I've got to a best friend in this world and if that means he hates me for what I do to protect him so be it." Neji was struggling to keep his voice steady by this time. There was a silence, the type that could almost be another person in the room deliberately making things uncomfortable.

"Naruto," Neji said calmly – too calmly - and loosened his grip slightly. "It's time to go. People are probably worried about you."

"My shirt!" Naruto protested but Neji kept pulling him towards the door.

"It's downstairs, I found it in the fridge."

"Are you sure you don't mean..." Neji's mouth twitched.

"No, definitely _in._" Naruto almost laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation and then remembered Sasuke behind them, frozen as still as a statue and his heart constricted slightly.

If Sasuke was supposed to be so bad for him, why didn't Naruto want to leave him behind?


	2. The agony of the day after

"Here's your shirt," Neji flung the orange t-shirt at Naruto's face. Naruto snatched at it and grimaced.

"It's frozen." Neji gave him a look.

"Don't exaggerate. And of course it's cold, it's been in the fridge." Naruto stuck out his tongue and reluctantly pulled it over his head.

"So, er," he began as he tugged the hem down. "What's up with that guy?" Neji stopped and gave him a look.

"Don't think about him, Naruto," he ordered. "I'm not going to ask what happened between you two last night but please don't go near him again."

"Fine," Naruto replied, feeling moody for some reason before noticing where they were. "Hey," he said in surprise. "Isn't this where the party was last night?"

"Uh huh."

"Why didn't he take me back to his place?" Neji gave him a look that Naruto usually got when he unintentionally said something stupid.

"This _is_ his house." Naruto squeaked, taking in the endlessness of it, the marble floors and expensive paintings. Neji sighed.

"Ok, to put this simply. Last night you screwed Sasuke Uchiha." Naruto squeaked again.

"Uchiha? But that company produces...everything!" Neji rolled his eyes.

"No shit, Sherlock. He usually stays in a flat his parents bought for him when he was eighteen but on some weekends he comes here. His parents went away for a conference and within two hours Sasuke has invited everyone he knows and any alcohol they may have had."

"So, if you knew this guy was so bad, why did you bring me here?" Naruto asked curiously. Neji shrugged.

"You'd enjoy the party. Besides," he added bitterly. "I expected Sasuke to have some decency and keep his hands off you like I asked." Naruto grinned and gestured to himself.

"Can you blame him not being able to resist though?" he snickered. Neji rolled his eye but there was a hint of a smile.

"You don't remember what happened, do you?" Naruto looked up at Neji's strange tone.

"Why? Should I? Well, aside from the fact I slept with a total stranger again..." he added sheepishly.

"No, no, it's nothing," Neji hastily assured him. "But people who remember their nights with Sasuke usually go back for more."

"He's such a jerk, that surprises me," Naruto muttered grouchily as Neji's car came into sight. The previous night they'd had to park several streets away due to the sheer size of the party.

Neji smiled. "Oddly that doesn't put people off, no. Come on, I'll take you home. You should get some sleep before Monday, you look like shit."

"Gee, thanks," Naruto muttered as he climbed in the car's passenger seat and wished for his head to stop spinning.

Neji pulled away and they had been driving for a while before they spoke again.

"Where were you last night? I didn't see you after the party started." Neji's mouth twitched.

"Hey, I'm not asking you about Sasuke, so don't ask what happened to me."

"Not fair! You know I don't remember what happ...You hooked up with someone!" Neji's posture or facial expression didn't changed but Naruto knew he'd hit the mark.

"Ha, you did! Who?"

"Naruto...shut up."

X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X

"I'm home," Naruto called out blearily, letting himself in through the front door.

"About time!" someone replied from the living room. Naruto shut the door, kicked off his shoes and went to pass out in an armchair by the TV.

"Kiba, get that dog away from me," Naruto grouched as Akamaru immediately came over to investigate where he'd been.

"Dude, he's smarter than you. Get over it," Kiba replied, not looking away from the TV.

'_I'm not insane! My mother had me tested!'_ Shikamaru winced as Kiba laughed loudly at the TV.

"Shut it, I'm trying to sleep," he muttered and Naruto felt his own eyelids drop.

"Same. I'm going to bed," he yawned and was getting up when Kiba turned around.

"Oh yeah, where'd you get to last night? At the party?" Naruto winced at the volume.

"Oh, I...what time did you guys leave anyway?"

"Hinata was sober so she drove us all home about 2am. But when we looked for you we couldn't find you."

"I know where he was," a girl announced, sliding into the room, clutching a mug of tea. Long blonde hair hung loose over her shoulders whereas she usually had it tied back in a single ponytail. She wore shorts and a plain white vest and her indigo eyes glittered with something Naruto wished she wouldn't say.

"Ooh, ohh! Tell us!" Kiba shouted and Shikamaru threw a pillow at his head. Shion set herself down on the other end of the sofa to Shikamaru, shoving his feet over so she had room and smiled. Naruto groaned inwardly. Of course Shion knew. She always bloody knew.

"He went off with some guy," she said, not without a smug sort of pleasure from seeing the look on Kiba's face and Shikamaru's eyes open with interest.

"Really? Some guy, huh?" Kiba said, leering. "Is that why you vanished?" Naruto knew what he was not so subtly implying and right now was too tired, hung-over and stressed out to deny anything.

"Fine. Apparently I hooked up with some guy and woke up this morning in said guy's bed. Happy?" he asked rubbing his eyes.

"Is that it? No details?" Shion looked scandalized.

"You don't remember what happened last night, do you, Naruto?" Shikamaru asked bluntly.

"Not a God damn clue," Naruto said, finally pulling himself to his feet.

"Can't have been any good if you don't remember it!" Kiba called after him and then cackled. Naruto winced again.

"Bastard," he groaned as he climbed the stairs to his room on the top floor. He fell face first onto his bed and then rolled over, sighing.

"Sasuke Uchiha, huh?" he mused, sitting up to pull off his shirt and then tug off his jeans. Climbing into bed he felt slightly guilty to be thinking of the brunette when Neji had made him promise not to. Yawning he tugged the blinds down and pulled the covers up.

It was weird but...he wanted to see Sasuke again.

X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X

"Good morning!"

"Go away!" Naruto shouted without moving. He was ignored and the intruder swished in anyway.

"Naruto, it's the evening. C'mon, get up. We're ordering fish and chips. Cod, sausage or a spring roll?" Ino immediately made herself at home in his room, picking up his abandoned clothes up off the floor and gathering his scattered school notes into a folder. Naruto blearily rubbed his eyes and pulled the blind to a fraction.

"Oh." Ino stood with her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, oh. It's almost eight. You must have had a rough night," she noted. "Besides what do you want to eat?" Naruto eyed his friend suspiciously.

"Have you been talking to Shion?" he asked and she faked surprise.

"Course not! You just look so...ok, I heard you hooked up, is it so bad I want to know?" Naruto groaned and pulled the covers over his head. She immediately tugged them down again.

"Naruto! C'mon! Just a few details!" she begged. "Was he hot?"

"Very," Naruto thought (guilt, betrayal, sorry, Neji) of Sasuke's skin and dark hair and teasing mouth.

"Do you even know his name?" Ino asked curiously, perching on his bed.

"No," Naruto said quickly. Neji had also made him promise not to tell anyone who he had spent the night with.

"Liar!"

"What?!" Naruto yelped as she painfully leant on his hand with her elbow.

"I can tell!" she said triumphantly. "C'mon, Naruto, 'fess up!"

"I can't!" Naruto shrieked as she pushed down harder.

"Why?"

"I swore I wouldn't tell!"

"To who?"

"Neji." Her eyes grew round.

"Did you sleep with Neji?"

"Not _this_ time..."

"But there _was_ a time?!" she screamed.

"Hey!" Kiba leant in the door. "I don't really care who Naruto's banging but Kakashi is going to the chippie in five minutes and we _still_ don't know what you want to eat!" Naruto rubbed his hair and Ino chucked him a t-shirt.

"Spring roll, I guess. Somebody make Kakashi remember to ask for salt and vinegar this time." Ino rolled her eyes as she got up.

"We have salt and vinegar, you know," she drawled.

"It's easier when they do it," Naruto protested, hauling himself out of bed and following his friends downstairs.

Shion was sitting on the window seat, clutching another mug of tea. Shikamaru was sprawled out on the sofa until Ino hit him to make him make room for her. Naruto did a quick count and came up two short. Kakashi must have left already.

"Where's Sakura?" Naruto asked, throwing himself into a beanbag, noticing the lack of his best friend's distinctive bright hair. Ino looked up and checked for herself.

"Oh, she was here a minute ago. I wonder where she went?" she mused but didn't get up.

"She'll be down in a minute. Probably went to the bathroom or something," Kiba said, flicking the channels.

'_We're gonna need a bigger boat...'_

'_Ah gravity, thou art a heartless bitch...'_

'_Love lifts us up where we belong, all you need is love...'_

'_Of course I believe in evil, I work in real estate...'_

"Stop that and pick something," Shikamaru muttered.

"Is there a movie on?" Ino asked and Naruto settled into the comfort of his friends' laughter and chatter. Because of the loudness of the TV none of them heard the water running and underneath that the sound of Sakura retching and retching and retching.


	3. The agony of Monday morning

Sakura struggled not to make too much noise as everything in her stomach came up at once. When she was done, trying not to gag, she flushed the loo and got up unsteadily to rinse her mouth.

How could this be happening? _How?_

In her head she knew exactly how and that voice in fact sounded just like her mother. Every action has a consequence. Why was she being punished for something she'd wanted so bad?

Slumping on the toilet seat, head in her hands she contemplated what to do. Tell someone? No, she couldn't. Sakura, _such_ a good girl, best marks in the school, athletic, pretty and perfect: God, how would they see her if they knew?

Nobody must know, Sakura vowed. She'd fix it herself.

If only she knew how to do that.

"Sakura!" Ino rapped on the door. "The food's here...are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" Sakura hurriedly called, getting up and fluffing her hair in the mirror. She looked a little rough but nobody could tell she'd been sick or crying. Just to make sure she hurriedly cleaned her teeth and by the time that was done she'd calmed down and looked a little better. Smoothing down her skirt she rushed down the several flights of stairs to the main room.

"Where am I meant to sit?" Sakura jokingly demanded. Naruto grinned and waved.

"There's a space here, quit whining!" Sakura took her plate from Ino and went to sit by Naruto, perching carefully on the arm of the chair.

Kakashi didn't eat with them, protesting that he was deeply fond of them and all but if he had to endure their 'terrible choice of television' he'd beat them to death with a cod.

Their landlord was extremely eccentric.

"So, Naruto, where were you last night?" Sakura asked and jumped when Naruto choked and everyone sighed loudly.

"Sakura, you're way behind already! We've had this!" Ino complained loudly.

"I was sleeping, so sorry I didn't know," grumbled Sakura.

"Left with a guy," Shikamaru informed Sakura, sounding bored. "Now shut up. I missed this episode when it first came out."

"It's a good one," Ino chipped in. "Cause Sheldon hangs her clothes off a telephone pole..." seeing his face she trailed off. "Or I could just let you watch it..."

"Wise decision," Naruto said through a mouthful of chips. "Otherwise he'd bitch for hours on end." Sakura wanted to ask more but everyone was losing interest and settling down to eat and watch the show. Sighing inwardly Sakura vowed to talk to Naruto later, curious to know which of the many males at that house party Naruto had slept with.

She hadn't wanted to go to the party, of course she hadn't. She'd felt horrible and had hidden for most of the night in the bathroom. But if she'd refused to go her friends would have asked questions, been suspicious. Waiting for her friends to get tired or too drunk to notice they were being taken home took hours, hiding in bathrooms and closed rooms and avoiding alcohol.

"Sakura? You ok? You're not eating..." Sakura looked down at her full plate and smiled.

"Sorry. I spaced out." Naruto shrugged and continued eating.

"If you don't eat any of that..."

"I know," Sakura said quietly, picking up her fork and trying to soothe her panicking stomach.

She could do this. Couldn't she?

X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X

"He's got some nerve," Sasuke fumed, swinging the computer chair back and forth in frustration. The last hour's computer search had proved fruitless.

It helped if you knew more than the first name of the person you were looking for.

And sadly that was all Sasuke knew of his latest conquest.

Google did not know who you were talking about when you put 'fit body, eyes like the sky, sexy messy gold hair, tattoo and scars, bloody good lay,' into the search engine. It was absolutely infuriatingly.

Sasuke sighed and leaned backwards. Maybe it had been Neji's insistence that Sasuke stay away from Naruto that was making Sasuke do this but something about the blonde was...well, interesting. Usually Sasuke found every teenager trivial, vapid and only good to use for sex. Naruto was not any of those things.

Good for sleeping with, surely: enough so that Sasuke wanted a repeat, a never before occurrence. Loud and crass, cheeky and kind of dumb. Lively, cute, bold and sexy.

And out of bounds.

Urged on by the image of the blonde's grin Sasuke took up the mouse again and thought. Naruto went to Konoha Academy of the Arts, he knew that much. Neji had mentioned that his best friend went there in passing once. Searching Naruto's name and the school might turn up something worthwhile.

It came up almost instantly. Triumphant, Sasuke leaned in closer and clicked the link that first came up.

It was an article from a local newspaper that featured the brilliant students of the academy often. This one was about a recent art show, one that had happened nearly over two months ago. Third place went to some boy named Deidara from another local school but the second and first prizes were Konoha students. Second place, Sai's brilliant use of blah blah blah and first place went to a seventeen year old student named...Naruto Uzumaki.

Even before Sasuke saw the picture he knew that it was the one he was looking for.

Sure enough the picture featured a scary looking blonde older boy, a sullen raven staring off camera and in the centre stood Sasuke's one night stand, wearing his uniform and grinning.

Seventeen, Sasuke mused. Younger than he'd thought by a year or so. And he now knew something more about the blonde than he had before and especially when he had tumbled into bed with him a few nights ago.

All of the special skills Sasuke would have guessed that had gotten the blonde into the school art was not one of them. _You keep surprising me, Naruto,_ Sasuke thought, smiling.

Clicking the back button he found several more links. Most were more articles about art shows and one was from the school's website about the art club. But a few pages later he discovered a blog by one of Naruto's friends featuring photos and such. Sasuke browsed these leisurely for at least fifteen minutes, admiring the blonde in varying shots in jeans and pajamas and in one particular folder at the beach.

Sasuke knew that by now he was verging on stalking as he'd found out the necessary information he'd wanted about the boy and was now really just perving on shots of him in shorts and eating ice cream.

But Sasuke felt guilty about very few things so he carried on.

To his surprise a more recent folder contained photos of the art show Sasuke had discovered first. There were many photos of Naruto and several of the art being shown. In one Naruto stood with what Sasuke presumed was his social circle, several cute girls and a random selection of boys and oddly enough a pack of dogs.

The rest of the photos went on like this and Sasuke flicked through them, only half interested in the several glimpses of Naruto they had.

The he stopped. Looked again to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him. Checked the short description the blogger had made with this photo....and screamed.

"Sasuke? What the fuck are you doing?" At his elder brother's entrance Sasuke said nothing, just snarled and pointed at the screen. Itachi raised an eyebrow and humoured him: dumping the folders he'd been holding and looking over Sasuke's shoulder.

"He's cute," Itachi said, about Naruto Sasuke _hoped._ "Who's he?"

"He's not the problem," Sasuke explained as rationally as possible. "It's the guy he's kissing!" Itachi sighed and stood up again, bored.

"Isn't he still in school? Don't get mad but you left school a while back. You skipped several grades, remember?"

"I'm only three years older than him!" Sasuke griped and turned back to the offending photo. Whether Naruto was kissing Sai seriously or in jest Sasuke had no clue...either way he wanted to reach back in time and pummel Sai for touching _his _property.

"Latest conquest?" Itachi asked as he exited and Sasuke flung an ashtray at the door. Missed. Damn.

Growling, Sasuke contemplated what to do. Neji was the first annoying obstacle. Second was this Sai person. Thirdly was what Sasuke actually _wanted_ from Naruto.

No, not quite right, Sasuke corrected himself. What he wanted was to sleep with the blonde again which was unusual in itself. Sasuke never repeated nights with people he'd already slept with. Why did he want this boy so badly?

So, Sasuke mused, the best thing to do would be to sleep with him again. But what if after that Sasuke wanted it again? What would he do then if his lust for Naruto was insatiable? Sasuke had never had a boyfriend or girlfriend before. He had one night stands, that's all he was emotionally good for. He understood sex. Love? Trust? Relationships? Those didn't exist in his world.

With a groan Sasuke slid off the chair onto the floor. Shit.

Pulling himself up he went to get his coat. Something had to be done whether it was going down to the school and doing Naruto over a table or going to the nearest shopping centre and finding something to fuck.

Sasuke never felt guilty about _anything_.

X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X

Come Monday morning Sakura was glad that morning sickness did not mean exactly morning sickness. She was able to last all day without the nausea coming over her and by then she was at home and her bedroom was only several feet away from the bathroom.

"Sakura?" Ino whispered from behind her script. "Are you feeling ok?" Sakura forced herself to smile. She knew how she looked: make up and half an hour in the bathroom this morning had not helped her pallor or dark circles.

"Yes, I'm fine," Sakura replied. Ino narrowed her eyes.

"You've not been yourself for a while. Maybe you should see a doctor?" She should but she wasn't going to and definitely not for the reasons Ino thought she should. Sakura just nodded and prayed Ino would shut up.

"Do you want to go to the nurse or...?"

"Split into teams of three please!" Anko was an unusual teacher but Sakura liked her. She didn't take any crap and knew her subject even if she did dress sluttily for a woman in almost in her thirties. "The play you children are holding is Betrayal by Harold Pinter. Does anyone know anything about this play?" Sakura let out a quiet sigh of relief as Ino turned away to listen to Anko.

"So groups of three, hurry up!" Anko shouted. "I want you to read the play through and discuss it. Key points I want you to notice are the effectiveness of pauses and the timeline. I also want brief descriptions of the characters."

"Sakura!" Ino said suddenly and Sakura realized that as she'd stood up she'd swayed. Not just the head rush type of swayed either.

"I'm fine," Sakura tried to say but the dizziness came over her again. Ino was shouting and Anko hurried over just in time to catch Sakura as she fell to the ground.

_This was nice,_ Sakura thought dreamily. Sort of hazy and warm and her head didn't hurt any more. There was a lot of noise though. Anko was yelling at a few petrified students to go get the nurse but Ino beat them all to it and fled out the door screaming bloody murder for Shizune. Anko was talking to her now and saying her name but she was going in and out of focus a lot.

_I want to sleep. Just leave me alone and be quiet._

Betrayal hurt, Sakura knew. The betrayal of not calling, the betrayal of his ice cold demeanour. The worst betrayal was that this had happened at all. After all she'd never deserved this.

Hadn't she?

X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X

"What do you mean she fainted?" Naruto demanded. Ino rolled her carefully outlined eyes dramatically.

"It means she passed out you idiot! Right in the middle of drama! I knew she wasn't looking right but she ignored me when I told her she should go to the nurse. She's been asleep in the office since first period." Naruto chewed on his lip. Sakura's condition had been getting worse lately but with everything that had been going on Naruto had been more preoccupied with his own problems. He felt like the worst best friend in the world and Ino apparently felt the same.

"We should have paid more attention to her, shouldn't we?" she asked with a catch in her voice. "It's been two months and she's been getting worse and we didn't even care!" Her blue eyes started to fill up with tears and Naruto wrapped an arm around his friend.

"It'll be ok," he tried but she just wailed and shook her long ponytail furiously.

"What if she's really ill? We could be too late!" Several tears tumbled over her carefully made up eyes and streaked down her face, taking her eyeliner with it. Naruto rubbed her back, trying to soothe both Ino and his own terrified fears.

"Ino, I know you're in drama but this is real life, ok?" Kiba and Shikamaru strolled up the corridor towards them. Clearly not happy with her friends' callousness Ino sniffed and clung to Naruto more tightly.

"Look, we just came from there," Shikamaru took pity on her. "She's tired but fine. Shizune says that it was just exhaustion and that she hasn't been eating properly. We just have to make sure she sleeps more and eats enough from now on, ok?" Ino nodded and hiccupped. Naruto sensed an opportunity and managed to slide Ino over to Shikamaru.

"I'm gonna go see her quickly, kay?" Anything to stop the guilt butterflies. He felt like a major jerk for neglecting her and not making sure Sakura was ok.

"You have to be quick though," Kiba warned him. "Shizune will probably let you in but only for a few minutes."

"Got it," Naruto said, already half way down the hall. Lunch was almost over so he had to hurry in order to see Sakura and get his books for his next lesson. He rapped quietly on the door and Shizune smiling opened it.

"Naruto! You'll have to be quick, the bell's about to go."

"I know. I just wanted to see her," Naruto assured her. She smiled again and turned back to her desk and Naruto slid unmonitored to the next room. Lying in bed, terrifyingly pale and fragile underneath the mounds of pastel blue blankets Sakura lay half dozing. When he moved the chair closer to her bed she opened her eyes and weakly smiled.

"Silly girl," Naruto scolded her. "I've told you that you do too much, haven't I?"

"I know. My bad," Sakura said, not moving at all.

"I don't have long, my lesson is about to start. I'll call Kakashi or get Neji to give us a lift home. I don't think you should catch the bus while you're like this." Sakura nodded silently.

"Thanks, Naruto." Naruto reached over and stroked her soft pink-blonde hair before kissing her forehead. She looked so fragile, so terrifyingly _breakable_. It hurt Naruto to see her like this.

"I have to go," he whispered. "Feel better, ok?" Sakura nodded and shut her eyes again. Naruto quietly left, waving to Shizune as he shut the door behind him. In the quiet room, by herself after he'd gone, Sakura cried, muffling her sobs into the blanket.

Ino met Naruto outside the door, the worry not all gone from her pale blue eyes. "Is she ok?" Naruto nodded.

"Sleeping again. She'll be fine, Ino." Ino abruptly turned back into herself.

"I should hope so. The minute she is I'm gonna beat some sense into her thick skull. If she's so smart she should remember to eat and sleep!" Ino cursed. Naruto rolled his eyes and walked away from her. He didn't have the time or the ability to deal with Ino when she was like this. The bell rang as Naruto was running down the hall and he cursed loudly. He was going to be late.

Running past one of the large windows that faced the large drive in front of the school Naruto saw something that made him skid to a halt and look again. But what he thought he'd seen had vanished either into the school or one of the many expensive cars owned by staff or visitors. Shaking and reminding himself that _that _person was not supposed to be in his head at all he picked up the pace again, determined to not end up in detention when Sakura needed him.

X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X

Smoking is a horrible habit. Sasuke knew that logically and had probably only smoked a total of four cigarettes in his entire life but he was stressed and there was no alcohol or drugs around. What else was he meant to do?

Sasuke breathed out and leant against his car. He wasn't sure why he was here. If Neji was on the school grounds Sasuke was likely to find himself in a gutter somewhere tomorrow. Neji's family was extensive and brutal and highly nepotistic. The Hyuugas and the Uchihas were like the Capulets and Montagues in that film, Sasuke thought. But without the guns and bad Hawaiian shirts.

Crap, his life really was like that film. Except he was a Montague missing a Capulet. Disgusted with himself Sasuke threw his cigarette on the tarmac and ground his heel into it.

Searching for a fuck had not helped. Not one guy Sasuke saw or talked to or flirted with had gone anywhere or stopped Sasuke feeling so...strange. There were a few chances where it looked like a guy's shirt would end up on Sasuke's bedroom floor but instead of bodily throwing the guy into the backseat and doing what he did best Sasuke just...left.

Sasuke knew why. Each time the guy's eyes weren't blue enough or his hair gold enough and of all the bloody colours in the world why was Sasuke searching for one that wore _orange?!_ Sighing heavily Sasuke deduced that if he ever wanted to have sex again he needed to get Naruto out of his system or screw him and move on.

Either way it meant ignoring Neji and forcibly kidnapping Naruto. Though, Sasuke smirked to himself, Naruto had looked plenty interested the morning after. To Sasuke's frustration, however, thinking about it just made him hornier. How Naruto was aggressive and seductive when he was drunk. The way Naruto had pressed Sasuke up against the wall, mouth attached to his neck, one hand down Sasuke's skinny jeans and the other up his shirt. How when they'd finally gotten up the stairs and to Sasuke's room they'd been so desperate they'd never actually made it to the bed and had ended up having sex for the first time on the floor, frantically and passionately.

Sasuke sighed and wondered what to do. Then he looked down and realised hiding in his car until _that_ went away was a good idea.

Impressionable schoolchildren, you know.

X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X

"He's here..." Neji snarled, his nose pressed against the window of the sixth form common room. Tenten brushed a strand of brown hair away from her face but didn't look up from her magazine.

"Who's here?" she asked, purely cause no one else was going to. The black, possessive aura seeping off of Neji was enough to terrify anyone into hiding until he'd gone away. Neji pointed at something she couldn't see in the car park.

"Sasuke," he snarled. "Is here." Tenten shifted in her armchair.

"Yeah? So?" Bored, she flipped the page. Horoscopes. Ooh.

"There's only one reason he could be here!" Tenten looked up from her magazine, curious.

"For what?" she asked, tipping her head in confusion.

"Naruto, of course!" Tenten hummed and thought. Naruto. Oh, Naruto!

"Your friend?" she checked. "Year below, blonde, kinda cute, depressingly gay?" But Neji wasn't paying any attention to her.

"He's smoking!" Neji yelled suddenly. "That dickhead! That's bad for so many reasons!"

"Neji," Tenten prodded. She didn't want him getting lost on morality lectures when something much more interesting was going on. "Naruto and Sasuke?" Neji bristled as though the sound of their names together burned.

"You remember the party last weekend?" Tenten nodded.

"They sort of..." Neji trailed off and Tenten giggled, understanding.

"Oh! They slept together!" Neji winced.

"If you can call it that."

"What else are you gonna call it?" Tenten asked, a smirk in her voice. Neji paid no attention to her suggestive tone.

"I meant Naruto was very drunk and Sasuke screws anything with a penis and a pulse!" Tenten sighed. He was in one of those moods. Give her strength. She picked up her magazine again, only half interested.

"So? Surely that's it. I mean it's not like Sasuke has the best attention span..." she muttered.

"Then why is he _here_?" Neji shouted.

"Maybe it's for a different reason. Get over it."

"I told him he couldn't see Naruto again!" Neji exclaimed. "Oh, he's getting in his car again..." Tenten perked up. It had got interesting again.

"That was stupid!" she laughed. "No wonder he's here if you said that!" Neji turned on her.

"You just said he wasn't here for Naruto!" he howled. She giggled at his stupidity and the expression on his face.

"You told him Naruto was forbidden fruit! Stupid. The worst way to make someone stay away from someone else is to tell them to! He'll just keep going after Naruto cause you hate it and...Neji?!" She turned around as Neji raced past her.

"He got out of his car again!" Neji shouted back to her, vanishing out the door.

"Neji! Wait!" Tenten got up, dropping her magazine and grabbing her bag. She had to follow for Naruto's sake and to stop Sasuke being a smear of blood on the pavement.

"Neji! This is going too far!" she yelled, hurtling down the stairs after him. Neji paid no attention to her and was only just capable of keeping ahead of her, having the edge due to his head start. Tenten soundly defeated every guy or girl in every event in Sports day so this real life race was just another challenge to her.

And at the end she would throttle Neji into the ground.

"Neji!" she wailed as he hit the bottom of the stairs and got ahead of her on flat ground. Panting, and in pain from her bag smacking her in the side, she jumped the last few steps and instead of following Neji she smacked straight into someone who appeared out of nowhere.

"Are you ok?" An arm prevented her from falling over. "Hey, you're...Tenten, right?"

"I...Sasuke?" Sasuke let go of her arm and tilted his head sideways to study her.

"I thought it was you. I've only met you several times before. That party of Neji's..."

"Yeah, I remember it," Tenten said, looking down the corridor. Neji was long gone, presumably keying Sasuke's car by now. "Hey, if Neji catches you here, he'll shove your head down the loo." Sasuke's mouth twitched.

"I know. I've decided I don't care." Sasuke turned and walked in the same direction as Neji had gone. _Bad, bad, bad!_ Tenten thought.

"Hey!" she demanded, scurrying to keep up with his longer legs. "Are you here because of the reason I think you're here?" He didn't even look at her. Bastard! Tenten thought indignantly.

"What's that then?" he drawled.

"Naruto!" He turned to look at her.

"He told you, did he? Actually what did he tell you? By the look on your face it wasn't good."

"Look, it's not...slow down, damn it!" Sasuke didn't say anything but he did slow down much to Tenten's relief. "I don't care what you do and I think Neji's bat shit crazy but...Naruto's a nice kid. Kind of slutty and all but he's decent. If you're gonna screw him and ditch him...I'm gonna have to kick your ass." Usually when Sasuke was presented with a 5'4 girl with a scarily short skirt threatening him he laughed.

He didn't feel like laughing with Tenten saying it.

"Look, I don't know what I want with him yet," he replied, looking away from Tenten's accusing glare. "I just know that I want him."

"Well, figure it out!" Tenten snapped. "Do you ever stop to think about what you do?"

"No." Tenten stopped and spun on her heel and stormed off in the opposite direction.

"I hope Neji slits your throat and dumps you in a lake," she called over her shoulder. Sasuke shrugged and walked on alone, keeping an eye out for Neji. He had no idea why he'd even come into the school.

Looking around Sasuke thought that if he'd gone through school like a normal kid he'd have liked to have come here. The sprawling gardens and playing fields, the large, open classrooms, the students.

But he hadn't. He'd been genius boy and that alone had freaked everyone out. Add in the fact that his father was rich and owned just about everything and his mother was a famous former model he was pretty much treated like glass. Idolised by girls who thought he was cool and ignored by his father Sasuke had spent a lot of his time by himself.

Even worse anything he did was never as good as Itachi.

When he'd realised that he figured out that trying to be the best was not working, along with any hope of getting his father's approval. So he took up a job as a model which his father hated, came out which made his father turn purple and, finally, started frequently partying, drinking and screwing in that order.

But Fugaku had never disowned him. Somewhere in Sasuke's head he knew that this was due to Mikoto and Itachi but somewhere inside he wanted it to be because Fugaku cared.

Bollocks. With that thought along with the pining after Naruto he was turning into a right sentimental pillock.

He had no idea what he was going to do, Sasuke realised. Now that he was here he half didn't want to find Naruto. He was – by the strange movements in his stomach – nervous.

_Jesus Christ, what are you doing to me?_

"God...you really are here..." Naruto's voice shook as he stared at Sasuke. The dark haired man he had seen earlier in the car park had really been Sasuke and even back then the thought that he might be here had made Naruto's heart beat a little bit faster. Coming around the corner and face to face with Sasuke had made his heart jump into his throat. Sasuke's mouth opened involuntarily.

"Naruto?" Naruto shivered at the sound of his name coming off of Sasuke's lips but then remembered where they were.

"Are you kidding?" he hissed, looking around frantically. "You can't be here! I saw Neji run past my classroom five minutes ago and he looked pissed!" Sasuke bit his lip, half in arousal – he had not known anyone could look so hot in a school uniform – and half in irritation.

"He knows I'm here then?" he asked, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "He must have seen me in the car park..." A door slammed shut behind them and Naruto almost leapt into the air in shock.

"Yeah, well, you have to go!" Naruto insisted.

"Why?" Naruto wasn't surprised that Sasuke asked that question. He _also_ remembered why he didn't like the bastard in the first place.

On the inside that is. The outside was just..._woah_.

"Because Neji said we're not supposed to see each other again!" Naruto retorted and then lost all of his irritated confidence when Sasuke started walking towards him. Finally, just a few centimetres away from Naruto, Sasuke smirked and took a strand of the frozen boy's soft blonde hair in between his fingers.

"Does Neji control everything you do?" Sasuke said, still stroking Naruto's hair. Naruto had to swallow hard and try to move away from Sasuke but his body wouldn't let him. So he stood there while Sasuke got bolder and eventually ran his hand over Naruto's head down to his neck and rested there. Naruto shivered.

"If you're as bad as he says, I think I should," Naruto congratulated himself on being able to speak. However, Sasuke was just amused by this.

"Oh?" he purred with such a smug expression on his face that Naruto was sure whatever he said next was going to be bad. "Before our night together I gathered from people you know you're not so angelic yourself." Naruto's fury came back in full force.

"Yeah, perhaps when I get drunk I screw the nearest available guy but you do it on purpose! At least the guys I sleep with understand it's a drunken one off but from what I hear you get people to fall in love with you and then ditch them as soon as you're bored! I've never done anything as disgusting as _that!_" Naruto spat. Sasuke withdrew slightly, still touching Naruto's neck with the tips of his fingers although his face had closed up into a blank mask.

"Alright, so I have a short attention span and I like sex. Don't get preachy on me for that," Sasuke said sullenly.

"I'm not, I swear. But don't you ever fell guilty for hurting other people like that?" Naruto couldn't imagine anything worse than endlessly breaking people's hearts like that and not feeling any shame for it. Sasuke shrugged.

"I don't really. So what if our agendas are different? What do you want me to do, tell them straight off I'm using them for sex? That's kind of blunt, don't you think?"

"God, you're such an arsehole," Naruto said in disgust and turned to leave, forgetting Sasuke's hand was still resting on his neck. Sasuke reacted faster than Naruto could, pulling the stunned boy so close they were pressed against each other. Naruto was, once again, too stunned to move and he didn't protest when Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto and bent his head down.

"See, right now, I could tell you what I want to do to you but apparently you don't want me to do that," Sasuke smirked. He let his mouth graze the corner of Naruto's and Naruto reluctantly turned into a pile of mush. It really wasn't fair that he couldn't remember their night together because he was sure it must have been awesome.

However, if he was able to remember it he got the feeling he'd have no qualms about falling into bed with this jerk again...and therefore get his heart broken.

But he still wasn't capable of moving.

"What if someone came along who was the perfect one for you and you didn't notice cause you ditched them as soon as you'd fucked them?" Naruto sniped as his mouth was the only thing that was working. Of course, the perverted inner Naruto suggested what that working mouth was also capable of doing...and what Naruto's body _really_ would like to do with this man.

"I think if I found the one, I'd know it," Sasuke said, no longer smirking, his eyes deadly serious instead. Naruto's hair stood on end, feeling that Sasuke's words meant something much more than what had been said. However the bell rang over their heads, breaking the moment and reminding them where they were. In panic Sasuke remembered Neji but was so reluctant to let the beautiful, blushing blonde out of his sight again.

Just before children spilled into the hall from their varying classrooms, Sasuke tugged open the nearest closet door and tugged Naruto in after him, backpack, blazer and all.

In the darkness, pressed up against the older man in a not entirely uncomfortable way Naruto sighed and muttered "Well, this is just _peachy_."


	4. The agony of secrets

"Oh, shut up," Sasuke testily replied, wondering how much Naruto would protest if Sasuke decided to suddenly shut him up...although in a fairly pleasant way.

"Why did you think that hiding in a cupboard was a _good_ thing?" Naruto replied grumpily.

"I don't know! I panicked!" Sasuke said defensively, listening to the noise going on outside in the hall. Naruto sighed and sat down on a nearby box.

"That's pointless. It'll be another ten minutes before everyone leaves at least." Sasuke shrugged and turned back to Naruto. There was a window so at least they weren't trapped in total darkness.

"I have to go," Naruto said suddenly, standing up. "My best friend will be waiting for me, she's not well..."

"She?" asked Sasuke absently.

"Yeah, Sakura. She came to the party on Friday too, you might have seen her," Naruto continued, looking at his watch. Sasuke paused and looked at Naruto, mind ticking.

"What does she look like?"

"Strawberry blonde, about 5'7, I think, green eyes, wears lots of pink..." Naruto said, only half wondering why Sasuke was asking. Kakashi was always on time when it came to any of them in trouble – though God forbid he was on time for anything else – and though Kakashi hadn't said so specifically Naruto knew he was worried about Sakura.

Strawberry blonde? The girl in question was starting to appear in Sasuke's mind, wearing pink hair extensions and a shimmering green top and red lipstick. To his utter shock and disgust he remembered where he'd seen her before and in what context.

Naruto couldn't know, Sasuke deduced. No, it looked like Naruto still had no clue about the true events of Friday nights.

"Sasuke?" Naruto had stopped looking at his watch and was looking at Sasuke in concern. "Are you alright? You look really freaked out..." Sasuke shook himself and smiled.

"I'm fine. Sorry." Naruto watched him for a second and then shrugged.

"Ok, whatever. I have to go..." But he didn't get that far. Sasuke stepped in front of the door and leant against it with a predatory grin on his face.

"Oh, look, we're back where we started," Naruto said sarcastically. "Sasuke, despite the fact that I'm attracted to you – don't let it get to your head – Neji is my friend and I kind of have to agree that you're a wanker. So please get the fuck away from the door so I can go home with Sakura?" Sasuke shook his head, still smiling oddly. He reached out with one hand and pulled the teenager close to him and then wrapped his arms around Naruto, bending his head so his mouth was next to the blonde's ear.

Naruto wasn't struggling but inside his head he was freaked out. Sasuke was acting strange and Naruto had no idea what had caused this heel-face turn.

"Sasuke?" he squeaked after a minute of Sasuke's body being pressed against his and hot breath on his ear.

"She doesn't deserve you," was the barely there whisper in his ear.

"What the fuck?!" Naruto protested, wriggling in Sasuke's arms. "Sakura? She's my best friend and how the fuck would you know?" Sasuke's expression was even stranger: not the usual blank mask but like Sasuke was fighting with himself.

"She doesn't..." Sasuke repeated, holding Naruto even tighter until Naruto stilled.

"And you do?" Naruto shivered when Sasuke chuckled in his ear. It was not a pleasant sound.

"You think you know?" Sasuke said quietly. "What really happened? What's to come? You have no idea..." Sasuke swept the fluffy golden hair away from Naruto's forehead and kissed him there softly. Naruto, surprised by the gesture, didn't object to Sasuke taking his hand and pulling him outside. There were a few students still wandering around who looked surprised that two good looking boys had just emerged from a cupboard and then either looked scandalized or leered.

"I...I have to go," Naruto said, his brain not quite capable of processing all that had happened and dealing with it sufficiently. "They're...they'll be waiting for me..."

"Oh, Naruto, there you are!" Kakashi was walking down the hall towards them and his one visible eye widened when he saw who Naruto was with. "Sasuke. Long time no see."

"Likewise," Sasuke said shortly, shaking Kakashi's hand. Naruto standing in between them, one hand still clinging to Sasuke's, was busy thinking that this day could not get any weirder. Sasuke however, let go of Kakashi's hand - and discreetly, Naruto's – and looked back and forth between the two.

"So Naruto is one of the students that lives with you then, Kakashi?" Sasuke asked, remembering how scandalized his father had been to hear that his former business partner, tired of living in a huge mansion by himself, had stuck up notices in the local school advertising rooms to rent to teenagers sixteen and over. Sasuke had not said anything at the time to his raging father but had silently snickered to himself how perfect it seemed. Kakashi was not like any other adult Sasuke knew.

"Yes, Naruto moved in several years ago," Kakashi said, not mentioning how close the two boys were standing together or that unless his eye deceived him they had been holding hands when they'd come out of the _cupboard_. "Anyway, Naruto, Sakura's a little better but she's not going to school tomorrow. I'm going to set up a doctor's appointment for her. Ino is coming home with us but Shikamaru and Kiba already left to catch the bus. I still have to go pick up Shion from her school..."

"Yeah, ok, I'm coming," Naruto said quietly and as he walked past Sasuke let his hand graze Naruto's back. Naruto's skin felt strange from the touch and he knew that now Sasuke knew where he lived he'd be seeing Sasuke again very soon. As he walked past Kakashi he muttered "Not a single word..." Kakashi only smiled.

"Goodbye, Sasuke. Give my regards to your parents." Sasuke sullenly nodded, watching Naruto's back as he walked down the hall. Naruto resolutely didn't look back.

Kakashi quickly caught up with Naruto and fell into pace with him. "So..."

"I said don't ask," Naruto said darkly. Kakashi grinned again.

"Wasn't going to," Kakashi said calmly. "Anyway, I heard Kiba and Shikamaru discussing pizza toppings earlier."

"Don't do that..." Naruto said quietly, half turning his head but as he suspected Sasuke was gone. Kakashi shrugged as they walked towards the nurse's office to get Sakura.

"Hey, Kakashi..." Naruto said suddenly. "Why do think Sakura didn't talk to us about how she was feeling?"

"I don't know, Naruto. I was surprised that even you and Ino didn't know what was going on with her."

"It could be psychological, right?" Naruto asked, a thought he'd had lingering in the back of his head since he'd seen Sakura asleep in the nurse's office. "If she was worried about something, that might affect her health too, right? Something that she felt she couldn't tell us?" Kakashi nodded solemnly.

"Yes, that's possible. It would explain why she's been hiding things from us." Naruto hung his head, Sasuke swept from his mind by worry for Sakura.

Naruto voiced the ultimate question aloud as the girl in question herself came into view. Sakura was slumped wearily against the wall, Shizune talking to her calmly in a low voice. Naruto watched his friend's bright green eyes and wondered what she was hiding.

"What could be so bad she couldn't tell us?"

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"Do you want anything?" Sakura did her best not to roll her eyes and instead smiled at Ino who had been hovering around her since they'd gotten home.

"Really, I'm fine," Sakura said. Shikamaru was asleep in an armchair and Shion was sitting at the other end of the couch, with Sakura's feet on her lap.

"Ino, if she needs anything I'm here. You have to go to work soon anyway," Shion said. Ino tossed her long blonde hair and snorted.

"I feel bad so I'm trying to help," she replied snottily. Shion narrowed her eyes and Sakura almost screamed. She loved them both but honestly you never saw the boys having fights like this. The most they had was when they ended up wrestling for an hour and the one who lost was the one who did the washing up that day. No mind games, simple.

"Your boss will get mad if you're late _again_. Really, I can take care of it. You've been getting Sakura things for the last hour. I'm pretty sure she wants to rest now."

"When did you become her mouthpiece?" Ino snapped and turned back to Sakura. "Really, sweetie, do you want anything? Tea?"

"Tea," Sakura caved. "Lots of milk. And then you _have_ to go to work, Ino, I don't want you to get fired." Ino, gleeful, skipped off to the kitchen and Sakura shrugged when she saw Shion's look.

"Wasn't sure what else to do. Could you try to get on a little better?" Sakura pleaded and Shion pouted.

"I'd try if she did..." Shion grumbled into her mug.

"Has Kiba left for his job too?" Sakura asked, wondering where their two remaining housemates were.

"Yup," Shikamaru startled the two girls. "He said to save him some pizza. Pepperoni."

"Are you up for pizza, Sakura?" Shion asked and Sakura pressed a pillow over her face.

"Stop treating me like I'm dying! I just got a little tired, that's all!" Sakura insisted. "Don't bloody think you can eat all the pizza!" Shikamaru's mouth twitched slightly.

"That's our girl," he yawned and stretched. Sakura remembered who she hadn't seen for a while and then what she'd tried to ask on Saturday.

"Hey, do you know anything about who Naruto hooked up with on Friday? I haven't had a chance to ask him yet." Shion shrugged and Shikamaru switched on the TV.

"Some guy. He wouldn't say," Shikamaru said, uninterested in anything but the rerun of Scrubs he'd picked.

"Ino tried to get some info out of him but he wouldn't even say his name," Shion was a little more forthcoming with information. "The only thing we do know that it wasn't Neji. Again." Sakura sat upright.

"No way!" she shrieked. "He slept with Neji? When?" Shion lifted a shoulder and dropped it, her head tilting slightly as she remembered what she'd heard.

"A while back. Drunken mistake, from what I gather. Naruto kept that little secret for a good long time. But apparently _Neji_ made Naruto swear that he wouldn't tell us who he'd done it with!" Sakura's head was hurting so she lay down again.

"Well, if it wasn't Neji and yet Neji doesn't want us to know, who could it be?" Sakura mused.

"I don't know. There were so many people at that party and Neji's always been kind of protective of Naruto. It could have been any of the guys there. 'Sides," Shion's smirk mimicked the one she'd had on Saturday when she'd delivered the news of why Naruto hadn't come home to Kiba and Shikamaru. "I spoke to Naruto on Sunday morning when we were on breakfast duty and Neji hooked up with someone that night too." Sakura grinned too.

"Shocker. Neji seems like the type to have no interest in sex at all." Shion giggled.

"Yeah, well, maybe that's why he wasn't keeping his usual eagle eye on Naruto."

"I'm trying to watch this, will you two shut up?" Shikamaru interrupted them grumpily.

"They go on a bit, don't they?" Naruto said loudly, appearing in the doorway.

"How long were you listening for?" Shikamaru asked while Sakura and Shion collapsed into hysterical giggles.

"Long enough," Naruto said, ruffling Shion's hair and kissing Sakura on the forehead before throwing himself into the last armchair.

"Come on, Naruto, who'd you do?" Shion called out and Naruto lobbed a pillow at her.

"I can't say, alright?" Naruto snapped. All three immediately turned and look at him.

"Jesus, what's with the attitude?" Shikamaru asked. Naruto turned his head away sulkily. He should be grateful that none of his friends knew who had come to see him and that Kakashi – for once – had kept his mouth shut but it was hard because today's visit had just increased the irrational lust he had for Sasuke. The entire journey to Shion's school and the drive home Naruto had spent staring out of the window, imaging what their night together had been like and what could have happened in that cupboard.

Which is why Naruto had just spent such a long time in the bathroom.

"I don't want to talk about it," Naruto said. "It's complicated."

"How?"

"Why do you need to know?" Naruto demanded. "God, why is my sex life so interesting to you? I don't remember what happened, ok? I don't remember anything from entering the party and getting completely drunk until the next morning when I woke up in some guy's bed."

"That's not that complicated. What aren't you telling us then?" Shion said slyly and Naruto blew up.

"For fuck's sake! I hate living here sometimes! Go get your own sex life so you don't have to enquire about _mine_!" With that, Naruto got up and stormed out the living room, pausing to get his jacket off the hook in the hall.

"Naruto!" Sakura called, leaning over the back of the sofa. "Come back!" The sound of the front door slamming answered her. Sakura slid back into her seat and joined Shikamaru in glaring at Shion. Shion just tilted her head serenely and sipped the last of her tea.

"Why did you have to push it?" Shikamaru asked in disgust. Shion stood up and made her way towards the kitchen, choosing not to reply.

"Why shouldn't I?" Shion whispered to herself. "I just want to know who he prefers to me..."

"Ino!" Sakura screamed from the living room. "Where's my God damn TEA?!"

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"You alright, mate?" Kiba asked sympathetically. Naruto merely growled and continued stuffing in fries.

After Naruto had stormed out he'd wandered around for a while and then bumped into Kiba on his way back after his shift at work. They'd ended up at McDonalds where Naruto had ordered the necessary junk food that was required after a day like _that._

"They're just girls, mate, they do stuff like that. Besides the whole gay thing is kind of a turn on for them, God knows why. I know Shion's a nosy bitch but she's only looking out for you." Naruto swallowed.

"I know she didn't mean anything by it, it's just...I had a rough day and I couldn't deal with her just then."

"Yeah, with Sakura and all that," agreed Kiba. Naruto picked up his Coke and sipped it.

"Kiba, you know how along with Sakura, you're my best, best friend in the whole world?"

"Yeah..." Kiba said, eating his own fries.

"Well...he came to see me today. That guy." Kiba, forgetting his mouth was full, stared open mouthed at Naruto.

"Seriously?! Woah, what'd he say?" Naruto bit his lip.

"A whole ton of cryptic stuff. How I don't really know what happened that night...and it's true I don't remember anything. But what if something really important happened? Something bad that I don't remember? It's really freaking me out."

"Ok, so what else?" Naruto laughed.

"He came onto me a lot. I would have done him right there and then but there's two problems with him. Wait, three. He has a history of humping and dumping them. Two, he's a bit of a bastard. Three, Neji hates him and forbid me from ever seeing him again. I mean, normally I'd be pissed at anyone who tried to tell me what to do but c'mon, it's Neji. He's done a lot for me. Besides if he's freaked out about me going near this guy he must be bad news. I know I sleep around when I'm drunk but I don't wanna get my heart broken, you know?"

"Yeah. Wow, no wonder you lost it at Shion," said Kiba. Naruto put down his burger, recalling the last unnerving thing Sasuke had said to him.

"And then...then he said Sakura didn't deserve me. I don't know what he meant by that."

"Sakura? You were talking about Sakura?" Kiba asked.

"Yeah, I said I had to go 'cause she was waiting for me. Then he got weird and said that."

"Maybe he knows her? Or maybe he got the wrong idea about you two?" Kiba said, licking ketchup off his lip. Naruto picked up another fry and thought.

"I don't know, it's possible. I don't think he knew her by name because he didn't freak out until I described her to him."

"I know Neji said not to go near him but if he tracks you down again, maybe you should ask him straight out what happened that night. It's not fair you don't know." Naruto traced patterns in the spilt salt on the table.

"Maybe. But the thing is what if I don't want to know? What if I did something bad? God, what if _he_ was the one who did something bad? I don't remember!" Naruto's voice rose in panic and the group of girls at the table next to them stopped talking to look at him.

"Naruto, it'll be fine," Kiba soothed. "All of us were there, I don't think anything bad would have happened, we would have seen. I mean up until early in the morning when you disappeared with that guy at least one of us was always with you." Naruto forced himself to breathe.

"Of course. Of course you're right. None of you would have let anything bad happen to me."

Even as he said those words his stomach twisted uneasily. Why did that make him feel so on edge? He knew his friends and loved every one of them. They were all good people from Shion to Chouji. But something didn't sit right and under the top layer of his mind memories stirred up.

What had happened that night?

Kiba brushed the crumbs off his hands and put all of their rubbish onto their tray to tip into the bin. "Come on, we'd better go. I've got some work due in for tomorrow and you have the expression on your face that suggests you're going to be pretty bloody bad company from now on. You can mope when we get home." Naruto nodded sombrely and stood up while Kiba upended their rubbish into the bin and stacked the tray on the pile.

They walked out into the fresh air. For March it as unusually warm and Naruto had stopped wearing a coat two weeks ago.

"Look, Naruto...you know you can always talk to me, right? About anything." Naruto nodded, grateful Kiba didn't push subjects like the girls did and always had the right reactions to whatever Naruto said.

"Kiba?"

"Mm?" Kiba mumbled, trying to work out how to get them home.

"I...I know I shouldn't because of Neji and the whole player thing he has going on but...I want to see him again." Kiba stopped looking for underground signs and approaching buses and turned and grinned.

"So go see him! I know you think you might get your heart broken if you get into too deep but if you want to see him you should just go! Even if you're friends, it's better than nothing, right?" Naruto started to grin too.

"Course. Kiba, you're awesome."

"I know. Oh, fuck, is that our bus?"

"Dunno. Run!"

He'd go see Sasuke tomorrow after school. Even if it meant showing up to the intimidating Uchiha mansion to ask for Sasuke he'd do it. Even if it was risking Neji's anger and whatever cryptic shit Sasuke wanted to throw at him. It was fine.

Well, that was the lie Naruto was telling himself anyway.

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Yay, wasn't that fast uploading? Would have been quicker if my internet wasn't being dodgy right now. The next one may be a week or two because I have mocks and coursework up until Easter...bleh.

Much, much love to everyone who reviewed and because of the above reasons I don't always have time to reply but know that I love you all with the burning, white hot intensity of ten thousand Gallifreys.

Oh and another thing. **PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!!** I got 60 alerts and favourites which I really appreciate but very few reviews compared to that. If you could review to just say you liked it or 'Gee, Sen, it's the fourth chapter and they've been in a cupboard...SO WHERE THE HELL IS OUR PORN?!' would be great. You know? Makes me happy. If you don't I won't get mad or threaten to withhold chapters or anything but isn't it worth it to make a otherwise totally fails at life, has no skills or future whatsoever teenager happy?

I can hear the quiet murmurs around the world going 'No.'


	5. The agony of finding out

Naruto was still not speaking to her.

Shion was pacing up and down the kitchen, waiting for the kettle to boil although she didn't really want a drink. It was to stop everyone _staring_ at her. Sakura and Shikamaru had been there and Naruto had apparently told Kiba and so of course, by that evening, Ino and Kakashi knew too.

Shion slammed a mug down a little too hard and winced at the noise it made. She hadn't meant to push, she'd just gotten...mad. It angered her that Naruto seemed to sleep with people the once and that was it. He didn't feel anything for them other than that. If anything he seemed to like the freedom it offered and that he could do that without hurting anybody.

_It's still unfair everyone is treating me like I'm the bad guy! _Shion internally wailed. _After all they were all thinking it!_

Shion wouldn't care so much about Naruto's one night stands if he acted like he usually did. Naruto had no problems talking about the guys he slept with normally but this time he was edgy and secretive. Something about it set Shion's nerves on edge.

And then...Shion's fingers tightened around the mug's handle as the kettle came close to the boil. Then there was that. What she'd seen happening. Or foreseen.

There was a shriek of laughter in the other room and Shion flinched. She picked up the now quiet kettle and poured, ignoring the waves of guilt and loneliness washing over her. They all wanted to know the same thing, there were always times that _they_ pushed the lines...so why was it she was the one who ended up punished?

Stirring in milk, Shion decided she couldn't face everyone's disdain and the feeling of exclusion so she would go upstairs and watch TV in her room instead. It was Tuesday afternoon and no one was at work or doing extracurricular activities for once so they were all in the living room.

Shion's spoon stilled.

Except Naruto.

Shion glanced at the clock. It was only just after four pm, shortly after school had ended. There had been talk of going out for food or a film but it was the middle of term and the work had started to pile on so everybody seemed content to watch some sit-com and eat popcorn.

Naruto had arrived shortly after Shion herself had gotten home. Everyone had come in all at once, having just gotten off the same bus and at times like this Shion felt left out that she went to a different school from the others. But she'd been at the same school since she was a child and was hesitant to change it now that she was nearing the end of her school years.

Naruto had caught her eye as she leaned out of the living room to welcome them home. But not surprisingly they weren't eager to talk to her and drifted away one by one.

But Naruto had turned away from her and slid up to his room in silence and that's where he'd been for the last forty minutes. Shion picked up her mug, determined to apologise when she froze. There it was again, in the back of her mind. It was starting again.

"Shion? Are you ok?" Kiba had pushed open the door to the kitchen, empty popcorn bowl in his hand. Shion stared right through him and the mug slid from her hand. Kiba's eyes widened in shock as it fell to the ground, tea soaking Shion's slippers.

"Shion? Hey, Shion!"

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"Hey, mate, you ok?" Kiba let himself into Naruto's bedroom and for once Naruto didn't protest that he hadn't knocked.

"Yeah, I just can't decide what to wear," Naruto said absently, throwing t-shirts around the room. Kiba laughed.

"Dude, pick anything. Is it important?"

"Well, yeah, kind of..." Naruto said, feeling embarrassed. "It's just that the two times we've met, the first time I was...well, naked for most of the night. And the second I was in my school uniform. He's older, I don't want him to think I'm just a kid he can screw around." Kiba shrugged and started looking through the piles of clothes Naruto had on his bed.

"What, did you just empty your wardrobe or something?" Kiba said with a grin.

"Yeah, pretty much," Naruto smiled back. "I don't know. I'm not even sure why I care about what this guy thinks so much." Kiba raised an eyebrow and then lay back onto his elbows.

"Anyway, back in the real world, where Loverboy is not the centre of the universe," Kiba teased before his voice turned serious. "Shion had another...episode down there." Naruto dropped the things he was holding.

"Again?" Kiba nodded.

"She dropped her tea. She got that look on her face again." Naruto stayed silent before sighing and sitting down on the bed next to Kiba.

"Don't you ever worry about it? The things she sees?"

"Maybe. Sometimes. That she sees things she shouldn't do or things that are secret. But it's not like she can help it, you know. She's been having visions since she was a little girl. There's no on-off switch."

"I know. But right now with the secrets I'm keeping I just..." Kiba patted his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. Look, you can sort things out with Shion later. She's ok, just kind of shaken. She hadn't told anybody what she saw yet. Go see...whoever he is."

"Got it," Naruto said, his heart skipping at the mention of Sasuke again.

"Where do you want me to say you are?"

"Anyway. I don't know. Something that'll buy me time but it won't be too strange if I come back late or earlier than expected, kay?" Kiba smirked knowingly.

"So, you're guessing you'll either end up fighting with this guy and storming out or..."

"And if I am?" Naruto's cheeks heated up. He thought about sex with Sasuke a lot.

Alright, all the time. But no one was going to know that except him.

"Fine," Kiba singsonged, halfway out the door. "I'm not judging."

"Hey Kiba?" Naruto called out before his friend could leave. Kiba paused and opened the door a fraction again.

"Yeah?" Naruto looked sheepish and held up a handful of material.

"I still don't know what to wear..."

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This was a really bad idea.

He'd forgotten how intimidating the Uchiha mansion was. He was forced to go there because he didn't know where Sasuke's flat was and this was his best bet.

Still even the image of Sasuke's naked body nearly wasn't enough to make him walk up and ring the doorbell.

Nearly. Naruto stood trembling slightly, finger inches away from the doorbell. God, what if his parents answered?

"Naruto?" An amused sounding voice to his left made Naruto jump and pull his hand away from the doorbell like it was scaling hot. Sasuke snickered and leaned on the windowsill. Sulkily Naruto turned to see Sasuke with his head out of the window next to the door.

"I wasn't expecting you..." Sasuke said in a voice that as good as said 'I so knew you were gonna come find me if I avoided you for long enough.' It made Naruto's blood boil.

"Yeah, well, I have some questions to ask you. Let me in." The smirk disappeared off of Sasuke's face: he had clearly expected Naruto to show up here demanding sex. Naruto grinned slightly as Sasuke vanished to go open the front door. He wasn't predictable and he wasn't about to let Sasuke think he was either.

The door opened to reveal Sasuke in baggy pyjama bottoms and a black t-shirt. His dark hair was as soft and messy as it was on the morning Naruto had woken up next to him and his dark eyes looked strangely tired. Unless it was Sasuke lying awake at night worrying why Naruto still refused to sleep with him – and Naruto seriously doubted it was – Sasuke was anxious about something.

"Shut your mouth, idiot. I know I'm sexy," Sasuke said smugly and Naruto inwardly cursed as he realized he'd lost the upper hand yet _again._ He stepped inside and tried not to stare at the beautiful house with dark sweeping staircases, thick white carpets and stunning furniture. He loved his house – both Kakashi's and his parents' home - and probably wouldn't trade either of them in to live somewhere like this but it was amazing to think that some people did live in expensive mansions like this.

"I wasn't sure if you'd still be here but I didn't know where your flat was so..." Naruto mumbled. Sasuke shrugged and walked into the kitchen. Naruto obediently followed.

"I'll give you the address and my number." Sasuke's tone was nonchalant but inside he was ecstatic. Naruto was in his house. Naruto wanted his address. Naruto in his _flat._ Naruto, _naked_ in his flat sprawled out on the bed, waiting to be taken by an ever so willing Sasuke...

"Nah, it's fine. I won't need to talk to you after this," Naruto said calmly, hopping up onto a stool. Sasuke's hopes immediately crashed and burned.

"Do you want anything?" Sasuke asked, determined to change the blonde's mind. This was also smothered instantly when Naruto gave him a look and said "Sasuke. Don't try and act like this is anything. I'm just here for information and after this I'm going to leave and never see you again." This wasn't what Naruto was thinking at all. His thoughts actually ran very closely with Sasuke's, key words: Sasuke, Naruto and naked.

"Fine then. What do you want to know? If it was how great the sex was we can have a replay..." Naruto swallowed as Sasuke leaned on the kitchen counter with smouldering dark eyes.

"What happened on Friday? I...what did I do?"

"I know exactly. Me." Naruto's leg moved as fast as lightening and Sasuke cursed loudly as he clutched his shin.

"Jesus Christ! I was joking!" Sasuke spat, wincing. He hated being kicked.

"I know. But it was the shit-eating grin you had on your face that pissed me off," Naruto replied. He was getting anxious now. He wanted to get back before it got too late and once again, now that he was here, he remembered why Sasuke pissed him off so much. "Come on, Sasuke. I don't remember anything about Friday night from the moment I got there to the moment I woke up next to you. What happened? Why don't I remember anything?" Sasuke stopped rubbing his shin and stood up straight, his whole posture and mood totally changed. Naruto shivered as Sasuke placed both hands on the counter and stared at him. With his pale skin and dark everything else he looked ghostly, almost demonic.

_That really should not be arousing._

"You were kind of pissed. Actually, there was probably more alcohol in your body than blood," Sasuke said without a single trace of humour in his voice.

"Yeah, so? That's happened before once or twice, but this time I'm scared. Sasuke, _please_," Naruto begged. "I have this feeling something bad happened. It makes me feel sick and I don't even know why. You know, I know you know! Tell me."

"There...was probably something other than alcohol in your drink," Sasuke said carefully. Naruto thought this through.

"Oh my God, you spiked my drink so you could have sex with me!" Naruto shrieked once he'd worked out what Sasuke had meant and promptly came to the wrong answer. Sasuke nearly slammed his head into the granite surface at the blonde's stupidity.

"Naruto, if I was the one who spiked your drink, why would I tell you about it?" Sasuke said very slowly and sarcastically. Naruto paused, halfway out his seat and sheepishly sat back down again.

"Ok, good point."

"Don't make me out to be the evil one here," Sasuke said darkly. "Plenty of other people took that role on Friday night." Naruto looked up.

"Well? Tell me!" he demanded but Sasuke shook his head.

"Trust me, it's better for you not to know," he assured Naruto. The stool fell over as Naruto stood up.

"How? Jesus, Sasuke, that's not fair! You don't know me at all and you think you have the right to protect me from something? Give me a break! Whatever I did, I can handle it!" Sasuke tilted his head to the side and gave Naruto a very strange look, like he was trying to work Naruto out or something. Naruto waited in silence for a minute until Sasuke gave a derisive snort and looked away.

"What?" Naruto asked in irritation. "Because whatever I did it can't have been any stupid than doing _you_."

That stung. Sasuke tried to not let it show: after all, people hated him for being such a jerk and never calling them again but no one had ever regretted being with him. He may have no interest in relationships beyond sex but during the time they were together Sasuke made sure they _felt _loved even if it wasn't real. But Naruto had been different. All those kisses and whispers and falling asleep tangled up together now meant something real to Sasuke. If he'd known then what he felt now he would have done even more, to make the blonde remember, to let him know.

"It's not what _you_ did," Sasuke said quietly. "You did nothing other than getting drunk and at one point, not keeping an eye on the glass you were drinking from. But Naruto, what happened that night was the mistakes that other people made. That your friends made. That's why I want to protect you. Because you may think I don't know you but I do know you love your friends. A lot. And I don't think you could cope with what they did." Naruto was shaking his head furiously. His eyes were wide in shock and something else. Disbelief? Fear? Sasuke couldn't tell because the next moment Naruto pulled away and ducked his head.

"Naruto," Sasuke immediately tried to go to the boy but Naruto moved away from him.

"You're lying," Naruto croaked. "My friends wouldn't...no, you're lying. It was someone else. Other people, not them." Sasuke took another step closer and put his hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Naruto, I know it's hard to hear..." Sasuke started before Naruto turned around with an inhuman scream.

"Shut up! Shut up! You're lying! You don't care about me at all, you're making it all up to get me to sleep with you!" Naruto wailed and Sasuke was stunned to see tears slide down his cheeks.

"Naruto, I'm not making it up. Not all of your friends. Most of them didn't do anything at all. But several...Naruto, they betrayed you in a pretty big way. Naruto..." Naruto flung himself at Sasuke, still yelling and Sasuke had to catch his fists to prevent any injury to himself. Naruto was reluctantly pulled closer and into a hug when he gave in, clinging to Sasuke and crying. Sasuke stroked the boy's hair and wrapped an arm around his waist.

Sasuke was useless at dealing with people crying, his usual tactic being running for the hills, but this time he tried. When Naruto slid to the floor he got down onto his knees and took Naruto's face in his hands.

"Naruto, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. The way you came into my life...it wasn't pleasant. For you or for me. It's different to the one I told you on Saturday morning...very different. I'll help you, I swear." Sasuke, without thinking, leaned forward and kissed away one of Naruto's tears. The salty taste and Naruto's skin made him do it again and again, until the tears slowed. He peppered butterfly kisses all over Naruto's flushed cheeks and eyelids and finally his mouth. And Naruto, for once, didn't protest.

It was better than Sasuke remembered. Even with Naruto still hiccupping and tears occasionally sliding down Naruto's face and Sasuke could taste them on his lips, the kiss was perfect. They were on their knees on the floor and that would hurt later, holding each other by the waist. Now this was something Sasuke knew how to do and if Naruto hadn't rejected him so harshly earlier, what he would have tried in the first place. Naruto was responding to kiss therapy well, beginning to move his hands over Sasuke's body and getting a little bolder with his mouth.

Sasuke groaned as Naruto pushed into him a little too hard and they crashed to the floor, Sasuke landing on the tiles and Naruto after him. A grunt escaped Sasuke's mouth as the teenager's full weight landed on him but then Naruto's mouth was on his again, taking any more sounds with it.

Sasuke idly wondered if it would be too much to drag Naruto up to his temporary room here at his parents' house and then regretfully deduced that it would. Naruto was having some sort of mental breakdown and that would be taking advantage. Come on, he was sex obsessed not cruel.

"Sasuke..." Naruto suddenly moaned. "Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke..." Sasuke looked up into the bright blue eyes clouded by lust and struggled to keep the promise he'd just made to himself. No sex with temporarily unstable guys (and the several more sentimental reasons Sasuke would never tell to anybody.) But God, was it hard to resist pounding Naruto into the kitchen floor right there and then. Naruto's red mouth, soft tousled hair, several strands falling into his eyes making him look younger and the heat of arousal and excitement in his cheeks.

It was going to take a miracle for Sasuke to keep his self control.

"Little brother, go molest lovers in your _own_ flat." Itachi strolled right past them without giving them a second glance and Sasuke let his head fall back painfully onto the tiles.

_I asked for a miracle, not whatever the fuck my stupid brother is!!! _Sasuke thought irritably. Naruto, blushing, sat up and scrambled off of Sasuke, landing with a thump on the kitchen floor. Sasuke regretfully sat up and leaned over to softly kiss Naruto's forehead. Naruto wriggled uncomfortably, and shooting nervous looks at Itachi's back. Sasuke kissed his ear and quietly said "Don't worry about him." Naruto shot him a terrified look and whispered "He's your brother?" Sasuke glared at Itachi who pretended not to see and said "Unfortunately."

"I'm Itachi. Ignore my brother's pigheaded rudeness. Would either of you like coffee?" Sasuke grunted and Naruto shook his head. Itachi shrugged.

"More for me," he said, getting out milk and sugar.

"I'm Naruto. Uzumaki," Naruto tacked on. Itachi sipped his coffee and nodded.

"Nice to meet you." Sasuke watched this exchange from the floor in disgust and decided his brother and his not-quite-lover needed to be separated right _now._

"Ok, you can go now, Itachi," he not so subtly prodded his elder brother. Itachi shrugged and ruffled Sasuke's hair as he walked past. Naruto almost laughed at Sasuke being subject to such a cute gesture and the expression on Sasuke's face. It was half annoyed and half...well, like Sasuke didn't really mind Itachi being so familiar with him. Maybe Sasuke was human after all.

For some reason their make out session came back into Naruto's head in full graphic detail and Naruto's cheeks reddened again. He didn't know why he'd let it happen but kissing Sasuke was easier and more pleasant than focusing on what he'd done on Friday night.

No. What _they'd_ done, Naruto thought in dismay.

"Sasuke, I have to go," Naruto said suddenly, pulling himself up off the floor. Itachi nodded and left with a 'Take care, Naruto.' Sasuke however, looked worried and once he'd gotten up, placed his hands on Naruto's shoulders. "Do you want me to drive you?" Naruto shook his head.

"No, I'm fine. Really. I can manage the buses from here to Kakashi's. Besides I need to think about some things. I just..." Naruto trailed off and Sasuke understood and opted to pull the boy into a hug.

"I know," was all he said and when he'd let Naruto go a little bit they kissed again. This was softer, sweeter and confused both of them immensely.

Sasuke walked Naruto to the door and half way out Naruto stopped and turned back. "Sasuke? I know I said I didn't want to earlier but can I come and see you again?" he asked hesitantly. Sasuke only paused for a moment before grabbing the pen his mother kept next to the phone and grabbed hold of Naruto's hand and hastily scrawled his phone number down on Naruto's hand. When he was done he put the cap back on the pen and kissed Naruto's hand. Naruto turned bright pink and ran out of there faster than Sasuke did with a clingy ex-lover.

"Bye, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled as he disappeared into the darkening landscape. Sasuke smirked to himself and shut the door to find Itachi right behind him.

"Jesus!" Sasuke jumped when he found himself looking into his brother's impassive face. "I've told you to stop sneaking up on people!" Itachi's eyes slid past Sasuke to outside as if Naruto was still in view.

"Well? Isn't he the one you were stalking on the internet a few days ago?" he asked pointedly. Sasuke ran a hand through his hair guiltily.

"Yeah, maybe I did. So what?" Itachi shrugged.

"So nothing. How complicated is it?"

"Him and me?" Sasuke checked, also turning to stare at the silent street, but instead seeing Naruto's beautiful face and remembering the feel of his body and mouth. Sasuke had never wanted anybody so badly before in his life and the brief taster had done nothing to help Sasuke's arousal. As he no longer wanted to screw anyone but Naruto it looked like he was going to be working off his frustrations in the shower with nothing but the memory of Naruto's moans to help him come.

Jesus. Don't think perverted thoughts while your brother is standing right next to you.

"So complicated. And he has no idea..." Sasuke spun around and dashed up the stairs, remembering something he'd forgotten to do earlier.

"Where are you going?" Itachi called after him.

"Got to look something up!" Sasuke called back before he vanished out of sight into his room and to his laptop.

_I need to find out more about Sakura._

Even Sasuke couldn't begin to comprehend exactly how complicated he and Naruto were.

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"Naruto?" Shion looked up as she heard the front door click shut. Kiba had told her earlier that Naruto had left several hours earlier. She'd been waiting since then on edge, desperate to talk to him. Now she slid out of her room and crept along the landing in her nightdress, swift in her bare feet. She hung over the banister and strained to hear Naruto's voice drifting up from the bottom floor. After a few moments Naruto excused himself and Shion heard his footsteps on the stairs. She skittered round to the top of the stairs in time to come face to face with Naruto. His eyes widened when he bumped into her before softening.

"Hey, Shion, are you ok now?" Shion felt herself melt a little bit – he was never capable of holding a grudge – and then hardened her resolve again.

"Naruto, can I talk to you?" she began before she noticed things that their friends downstairs hadn't. Naruto's unusually messy clothing. The flush in his cheeks and the soreness of his bottom lip. But mostly it was the feverish glitter in his eyes...and then Shion knew it was true.

"Sure, Shion," Naruto said easily. "What's up?" Shion snuck a frantic look downstairs and then grabbed him by the wrist and tugged him into her room.

"Shion? Hey, what's wrong?" Naruto asked, looking surprised at Shion's actions. Shion shut the door behind them and turned to him with a mad look in her eyes.

"Naruto, do you know what you're getting yourself into? With that man?" she whispered, wringing her hands and Naruto in shock, slid down to sit on Shion's pink bedspread.

"How did you...? I've never told anyone..." Naruto said in shock. Shion quietly came over and sat next to him.

"It was my..." her voice trailed off. "In it I saw you two together on the floor of some house. Kissing. It was only a brief picture but...oh, Naruto, it explains so much." Naruto gripped one of her hands. It was what he feared, that Shion would see his darkest secrets and now Shion had seen the worst one of all. His moment of weakness with Sasuke.

"I'm sorry, Shion."

"Naruto, you realise who that man is, don't you?" Her voice rose in hysteria. "You'll only end up hurt! Even _I've _heard the stories about him! This can't lead anywhere good, Naruto. Please end it." Naruto could only stare blankly past her. No, through her. On Saturday if she'd begged that of him it would have been easy. No, easier. True, his heart had tightened to see Sasuke's dismayed look as Neji had forcefully dragged him away but back then Sasuke had been just a stranger. But now, already, his life was too closely tied to Sasuke's even if most of it was because Sasuke knew things he wanted to know. But that wasn't all of it. Another part of him was tied to Sasuke and Naruto doubted if it could ever be cut.

"I..." His mouth was so dry. There was no moisture on his throat, in his mouth, on his lips. All gone. But Shion was looking at him with such desperation and vulnerability he didn't want to stress her out with worrying about him. Not with everything that she had dealt with.

"I...ok," he relented, hugging her close. "I won't go to his house anymore." Shion sighed in relief and wrapped her arms around him. Feeling guilty Naruto realised he'd had no choice. He'd no sooner upset his friends than his own mother and he also could not cut the ties between him and Sasuke. It was too complicated, too knotted. It was too hard to find how to separate them, never mind cut them to pieces.

So he'd left himself a loophole.

But honestly, with everything else he'd done, what was one more little sin?

Naruto had no idea how many more sins would be committed....

And that he would not be the sole one in committing them.

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First off, thank you so much!! I degraded myself with begs and pleas for love and you responded with notes of praise, encouragement and demands for porn! I'm working my way through them right now and replying. I'll be able to finish them when term ends tomorrow. Keep sending the love people and I will provide the drama and porn. ^^

Secondly, wow, Naruto cannot get a break, can he? Unfortunately things are going to get much worse for him.

Oh and cause people have been asking...Word of God (i.e. me in this case) confirms Sakura is pregnant. Who's the daddy, I wonder? ~winks~ (Of course _I_ know. But you don't. MWAH HA HA!!!)

Oh and yes, I adore Shion so I decided to give her a bigger part. Please tell me your thoughts on this, whether you like Shion and am glad she's getting more involved or if you hate her and think she's a spot-light hogging whore and there should be more porn.

Finally, this would have been up sooner (like Wednesday night) but my internet cut out as I finished typing this and it was like 1am so I couldn't go fix it.


	6. The agony of missing you

Naruto was dreaming but it seemed all wrong. He was at the art show but sometimes it seemed to be held at Sasuke's house. Sakura sat on the stairs weeping and clutching her stomach. Kiba was looking at Naruto's painting with his head tilted to one side and Shion walked right past him with a glazed look in her eyes. And Naruto knew that he was looking for Sasuke and then he got confused because Sasuke wasn't meant to be here. And sometimes he caught sight of a dark haired man out of the corner of his eye but then he turned and no one was there.

The brightly coloured paintings all blended together until all Naruto could see were a spectrum of colours and it made him dizzy. Suddenly they all disappeared and he couldn't see anything at all, emphasising the cacophony of voices in his ears. Naruto wanted it all to stop when a voice stood out from the rest.

'_What could go wrong?'_

Naruto could hear one of his friends speaking and holding out a glass to him. The picture froze, then cracked as Naruto woke up gasping. He'd had the same nightmare every night, since he'd been to Sasuke's house.

Naruto sat up and removed his t-shirt, disgusted by the sweat on it. He flung it to the other side of the room and lay down again, wide awake. It was early in the morning – so early that no one else was up yet – and Naruto cursed that once again he was not likely to get back to sleep.

He knew that his not being able to sleep was starting to worry his friends but he refused to tell them the dream, lying and saying that he couldn't remember it at all. Kakashi seemed to suspect something but everyone else remained in the dark, which Naruto was grateful for.

It was Tuesday at - Naruto squinted at his alarm clock - 4:20 am in the morning. It had been a week since Naruto's trip to Sasuke's house and Naruto was torn with two emotions: a desire to see Sasuke and also depression over the fact that Sasuke hadn't come to see _him_. Shion had watched him so carefully that he'd had no chance to find a way to go see Sasuke. His phone had stayed silent for the past week, despite that he'd sent several texts to Sasuke on the sly, at school when Shion wasn't likely to see and guess by the excited and feverish expression on his face who he was texting.

Naruto picked up his phone, as he did every chance he got and looked at the screen.

No missed calls.

No new messages.

Something in Naruto snapped. That was it. Somehow he was going to go see Sasuke. Despite Neji, despite Shion...he had to. Even if it was to demand a reason for Sasuke's silence.

_Maybe he got bored of me._ The voice came out of nowhere into Naruto's mind. Neji's words echoed in his head followed by the image of Shion's face. Naruto put an arm over his eyes and wondered if that was really true. He'd known...always known what Sasuke really was like and deep down it disgusted him but he couldn't help that he was already so attached to him. He'd known that if he got himself involved with Sasuke his heart would get broken and yet he'd gone and fallen anyway.

Naruto choked back a rising tide of desperation and hysteria and moved his arm to look around the black, still room.

_Am I just being really stupid?_

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"Stop staring," Naruto snapped, a few hours later. Sakura passed him the jam and raised an eyebrow. "We weren't doing anything," she protested. Naruto took it from her and ignored his friends' looks in favour of his peanut butter and jam sandwich.

"You were staring. Seriously, I'm fine."

"You look like shit," Kiba said bluntly, inhaling bacon and when he thought no one was looking fed some to Akamaru who was hiding under the table.

"You'll make that dog fat," Kakashi remarked, not even looking up from his newspaper. "You didn't sleep _again_, Naruto?" Naruto licked a bit of jam off his finger and shrugged.

"I slept a little. Woke up way too early though." Kakashi turned the page of his paper with one hand and picked up his coffee with the other. "Maybe I should get you some pills," he mused and Sakura looked up in protest.

"_Maybe_ he should fix whatever he's been worried about," she said, fixing Naruto with a pointed look.

"Maybe I'm not the only one who should be doing that," Naruto shot back. Silence fell and Sakura's mouth opened and shut in shock.

"Ouch," Kiba whispered under his breath. Akamaru's nose appeared, searching for more bacon as Kiba had momentarily forgotten his dog feeding duties, ruining the seriousness of the moment.

Sakura looked around the table, meeting every one of their eyes. "Is that what all of you think?"

"Not such a pleasant feeling, is it, Sakura?" Naruto said with uncharacteristic nastiness. Sakura turned on him in fury. Her school uniform was ironed perfectly which Sakura did herself and never forgot and her hair was neatly brushed and held back with matching pins. Her skin was crystal clear and her make-up subtle but impeccable...yet despite all this, this angelic appearance, Naruto was suddenly terrified by the depths of anger in her eyes.

"Oh, for God's sake, would you get over yourself for _once_! We all know you're keeping secrets from us but unlike _you_ we have lives and don't care what they are!" Sakura's mouth twisted cruelly. "Besides we all figure you're just upset about that guy you screwed. Supposed to call you back, was he?" There was an intake of breath and a hushed "Akamaru, get down!" Kakashi put down his newspaper and eyed Sakura's flushed face and Naruto's pallor.

"Maybe I should get you _both_ pills..." he said to himself.

But Naruto had had enough. He stood up suddenly and bolted, Sakura's hit way too close to home, and too raw and painful for him to deal with in public. Behind him there were shouts and Sakura's "Naruto, I'm _sorry!_" Shion was shrieking at Sakura and Ino was yelling back at her. Akamaru was barking and Kiba yelped as there was a crash. Shikamaru made no noise and Kakashi only stood and listened as the front door slammed, as Naruto, minus his bag or a coat, left the house as fast as he could.

Of course, Naruto realised, dramatic exits were all well and good but other than making your point they were useless.

And he was fucking freezing.

He'd legged it as far from number four as he could before he'd got tired of running. He was clearly going to have to skive for the day – being in the same vicinity as his friends wasn't a favourable option – and also it was still early enough in the English year that it was cold. Naruto sighed and shivered in his thin school jumper. In the future he was going to live somewhere where it got warm before sometime in the middle of July.

_Sasuke, I miss you_, he thought suddenly, looking up at the sky. Then with a sudden crystal clarity, tugged his phone – the only useful thing he'd come out with – out from his pocket and praying that this would work keyed in a frantic message.

_Come and get me._

X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X

Sasuke came.

He hadn't intended to. He'd meant to give them both some space and oh, how it made him _ache_ every time Naruto sent him text messages, asking to meet up, to talk, for a _reply_. But he hadn't. They needed time apart. To get used to these feelings, to accept scandal and for Sasuke...to work out how to deal with the secrets he held.

Sasuke had been in bed when his phone started ringing. Fall out boy pulled him into consciousness as rudely as sunlight did and because of the time Sasuke was tempted to not even look at the message, just fling it across the room and hope the phone – and the racket – shattered into a million pieces. But when the notes of '_One more night and one more time, thanks for the memories, even though they weren't so great..._' began to sink into his fog covered brain Sasuke reached a hand out of the warmth of his bed and snatched it up like a lifeline. Naruto. Naruto was texting him. It wasn't as good as hearing his voice but Sasuke craved anything that was to do with his blonde.

Then he read the message. He dropped the phone as he raced downstairs in nothing more than his pyjamas, shoving on trainers and grabbing his coat and keys as he ran out of the door. At the speed he was going it didn't take him long to race past Kakashi's house and find the lone blonde boy standing on the pavement, hands in pockets, waiting. Heart in throat, Sasuke slid to a halt in front of him. Naruto paused and then slowly stepped down and opened the door.

Naruto slid into the leather seat in total silence and shut the door. Sasuke flicked the heating up and then pulled away.

Neither spoke as Sasuke drove back to his house. In the back of Naruto's head he thought that he was breaking his promise to Shion but he was a horny teenager and trapped in an enclosed space with the object of his desires. Sasuke's eyes still looked sleepy and his hair was all over the place, reminding Naruto of the first time he'd seen Sasuke, lounging in the middle of the bed, covers thrown back, smirking and completely...

Completely and utterly...deliciously naked.

Naruto audibly swallowed and Sasuke took his eyes off the road to look at him.

"You've gone red," he pointed out and Naruto squeezed his eyes shut.

"You're wearing pyjamas," he hissed.

"Yeah, so? You woke me up."

"You couldn't have put clothes on?" Naruto said through clenched teeth. Sasuke's eyes turned knowing and his smirk grew.

"Is it bothering you? The fact that under this I'm..."

"Don't say it!" Naruto shouted.

"Naked? I could pull over if you like. I quite like the idea of ripping that uniform off you."

Naruto placed his hands over his crotch. "I hate you," he snarled. Sasuke only laughed.

"I'm not sleeping with you," Naruto insisted. "If it weren't for certain circumstances I wouldn't be going anywhere near your house at all."

"And yet you'll text me constantly?" Sasuke said quietly and Naruto slumped in his seat.

"I missed you. When you didn't reply...I thought that everything Neji had told me was true." Naruto swallowed and continued talking in an even smaller voice, one full of desperation and a glimmer of hope. "I thought you'd abandoned me." Sasuke didn't say anything until a few miles down the road when they stopped at a red light. Naruto had seen Sasuke's expressionless face and prepared himself for what came next. The truth, that Sasuke really was bored of him. Had come just now in the hope of finally bedding Naruto again so he could go back to his life of debauchery. But just as tears were working their way over his eyelids Sasuke slid a hand into his.

"I...I could never...oh, Naruto, look at me!" Naruto did and to his shock, a tear spilled over. Sasuke wasted no time in leaning down and kissing it away.

"Naruto, I'm not going to leave you. I thought...the separation was meant to be good for both of us." The light changed green and Sasuke moved his hand away.

"How?" Naruto demanded. Joy at Sasuke's admission collided with anger and loneliness. Good reasons or not, he'd felt alone and abandoned for a week and now all that rage was bubbling over. "By making me miserable for a week? I haven't been able to sleep! All I dream about, all I've been thinking, breathing, feeling is _you_! And you just _ignored_ me!"

Damning the green light and the furious drivers behind to hell Sasuke leaned over and placed both hands on Naruto's face and pulled him into a kiss that made them both breathless. Naruto groaned and placed his hands on Sasuke's chest feeling the muscles underneath the thin layer of cotton. When Sasuke pulled away Naruto was pink, hands still splayed across Sasuke's chest. Smiling, Sasuke shifted into first.

"You really missed me?" Naruto turned his head away in a pathetic attempt to hide the pink in his cheeks. "Course I did, stupid," Naruto muttered.

The rest of the drive was quiet until they pulled up outside Sasuke's house. Sasuke stepped out yawning and Naruto slowly got out too, gawping. He'd only ever been here in dim light or at night before and when he was hurriedly leaving that Saturday morning he hadn't had a chance to look closer. Sasuke's house was fucking amazing.

"Idiot," Sasuke said in a bemused voice, teasingly tugging his waistband down a fraction. "There are better things to stare at than my house."

"Yeah, the fucking gazebo," Naruto quipped...just to put Sasuke in his place and try to not think about that extra strip of pale skin.

"Come in. You can grab something to eat while I put some clothes on," Sasuke said, leading the way to the front door. Naruto hopped up the steps behind him as Sasuke unlocked the door and stepped inside.

"There's some junk in the cupboard in the corner on the left. Biscuits, chocolate...oh..." Sasuke trailed off as Naruto didn't even wait for him to finish his sentence before disappearing into the kitchen. Sasuke smiled and raced up the stairs to shower and change.

By the time he got downstairs again, he found two empty crisp packets and Naruto half way through a packet of biscuits. Seeing Sasuke standing frozen in the doorway Naruto shrugged guiltily and brushed crumbs off his mouth. "I didn't get to finish breakfast!" he protested. Sasuke shook his head and quickly cleaned up. When he was done he tugged on the back of Naruto's shirt and kissed him. Naruto sighed and wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist. Pulling away Sasuke pulled a face.

"Should have made you clean your teeth before kissing you. Salt and vinegar _and _chocolate is kinda gross." Naruto grinned and kissed Sasuke's nose.

"So what are we gonna do?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he pulled orange juice from the fridge.

"I _should_ make you go back to school," he said firmly as Naruto groaned and pouted.

"No! I called you to make sure I didn't _have _to go to school! I can't deal with seeing..." Naruto stopped talking as Sasuke put the orange juice down and walked over to him with a look that Naruto knew as dangerous.

"Oh?" Sasuke asked huskily. "I thought it was because you _missed_ me." Naruto swallowed.

"I did. I do. But I can't see Sakura right now..." Naruto felt Sasuke stiffen and then clench his fingers in rage.

"Sasuke?" Naruto asked from the cage of Sasuke's arms.

"Sakura? What did she say to you?" Sasuke said, furious inside and wishing he could hold Naruto here forever and never let him go back to that house with that underhanded snake. Naruto slumped and pressed his face into Sasuke's clean, fresh-smelling shirt.

"Mean stuff. About how you were meant to call me back and hadn't and...oh, she doesn't know it's you!" Naruto said hurriedly, seeing Sasuke's face. "But it was too close for comfort, cause you hadn't called and...Sakura's never been like that before. Never been so nasty." Sasuke stroked Naruto's hair as calmly as he could and resisted the urge to drive out and rip the heads off of Sakura, Neji and anyone else who wanted to keep him and Naruto apart.

To his disgust and worry Sasuke realised that the list of those people was beginning to grow. That thought alone made him tighten his grip around Naruto.

"Also, recently...I've started remembering." Sasuke's hand momentarily stilled in Naruto's hair.

"About that night?" Naruto nodded, fingers still pathetically gripping Sasuke's shirt, head buried in the nape of Sasuke's neck.

"Just little bits. I've been having weird dreams and sometimes in them there are bits that are real. Memories of the party, just moments. But it's freaking me out."

"It's fine," Sasuke soothed. "There's nothing to worry about anymore."

Something in Naruto's head clicked and the pieces of dream suddenly became clearer as he remembered.

"_Man, this guy has some serious money," Kiba whistled, looking around. Shikamaru did what he did best which was look bored and judgemental at the same time._

"_Yeah, so? Who cares?" Kiba laughed._

"_So long as he's buying the drinks, that's all I care! Ooh, food..." Shikamaru and Naruto followed him – well, Naruto did the same as Kiba at the mention of food and practically ran there - to the table loaded with food and soft drinks. The alcohol was being served at an actual _bar_ the boys had seen in the _second_ living room._

"_Where are the girls?" Kiba asked, mouth full. Naruto shrugged._

"_Don't know where Sakura's gone. Ino and Shion are dancing."_

"_How about your scary friend?" Naruto teasingly whacked Kiba._

"_Hey, Neji's a friend. Give him a break. He's done a lot for me. 'Sides he was the one to get us into this party!" Kiba cheered._

"_Got to give him props for that!" And then he whispered "Even if he does have a humongous stick up his ass..." Shikamaru swigged on a beer and gave an uncharacteristic smile._

"_Maybe it was Naruto who put it there." Kiba hooted and Naruto scowled._

"_I've told you before, there's nothing going on between me and Neji. Get over it."_

"_If you say so. I mean, dude, have you seen the way he looks at you?" Naruto shifted uncomfortably. Sometimes when he hadn't been paying close attention or looking in the other direction he'd turned and caught Neji looking at him in a way that made Naruto worry but recently it had gotten worse and Naruto wondered how long he could ignore Neji's growing feelings or how long it took before Neji took action. After all Neji was used to getting what he wanted...and sometimes it took force._

_Naruto did not want to be around when that happened._

"_We're just friends," Naruto muttered, knowing that it was a pathetic lie and his friends knew it._

"_Like you haven't got enough trouble here tonight as it is," Shikamaru commented. "I know you love a party and all but I thought you and the ex were going to keep your distance? Or you at least swore to keep your distance from that and I quote 'back stabbing son of a bitch.'" Naruto grinned._

"_I can handle it. Besides you've got my back, haven't you?" Kiba laughed and flung an arm around Naruto's neck._

"_Course! That bastard whore comes near you and I'll..."_

"_You'll what? Suffocate me with the smell of wet dog?" Kiba twisted his head and scowled while Shikamaru looked positively murderous. Naruto didn't move – despite joking about seeing his ex-boyfriend here he was actually terrified. Didn't want to get charmed again, didn't want to get sucked in and shattered into a million pieces again. _

"_Hello, Naruto." Naruto turned slightly so that blue eyes met black._

"_Hello, Sai."_

"Naruto! Naruto, what's wrong?" Naruto clutched at his head and tried to ground himself in the present.

"I remembered something," he panted. Sasuke flinched and then gripped Naruto's shoulders tightly.

"What? What is it?" Naruto looked up at Sasuke, pale and shaky.

"My ex...Sasuke, my ex-boyfriend was at that party!" Naruto shook his head, urging more memories to come but they would not. They stuck on that last image Naruto had on Sai and then replayed. For some reason it made Naruto feel sick.

The warm hand on his cheek kept him sane. "When did you two break up?" Sasuke asked, although he already had a rough idea. At the art show they were still together and that was two months ago.

"Over a month ago. I found out he was cheating on me...some guy left messages on his phone. I don't think it was the first time either. I'd always suspected something but without proof..." Naruto shook his head. "So when I found the texts that was it. We broke up. Then I didn't see him again until the party. I didn't tell my friends but I was terrified of seeing him again. I know what Sai is like and...he can get violent if he wants to. I thought that he might be mad even though..."

"It was because of what he did that you two broke up.," Sasuke finished. Naruto nodded and Sasuke pulled up a chair next to him.

"What did he say about the messages?" Sasuke asked.

"He denied it, of course. Said that it was just a friend." Naruto laughed ruefully. "But trust me, those messages were more than friendly. Reading them...it made me sick." Sasuke rubbed Naruto's back.

"Don't blame you. I know I'm a slut of pretty disgusting proportions but I only see one person at a time." Naruto snickered.

"Was that you trying to reassure me you'll never cheat on me?"

"Didn't intend it that way but yeah, it kind of was. Besides, you're different." Naruto sniffed.

"How so?" Sasuke moved his hand to Naruto's hair, touching a stand of gold and then running his fingers through it, smug when Naruto shivered.

"You're special."

"No, I'm not. Deep down I'm still sure that you're going to get bored of me and ditch me. I'm not...anything. And if I didn't miss you so much when we're apart I'd have left already."

"You really believe that?" Sasuke asked, his hand dropping to rest on the back of Naruto's neck.

"People don't change. You have a pretty short attention span from what I hear so..." Naruto was cut off by Sasuke grabbing hold of his chin and turning Naruto's face towards him.

"No," Sasuke said softly. "I meant that you don't believe you're special."

"I'm not. Sasuke, I'm not!" Naruto insisted, seeing Sasuke's disbelieving face.

"Naruto. Listen to me. You are special. I knew it from the moment I saw you dancing on that table. I knew it the minute you tried to leave on Saturday morning but you couldn't find your shirt. And every moment in between then and now I knew it. I've never felt this way about anybody before. Ever. I don't really do feelings. But you..."

Damn it. That was it. Naruto really wanted to kiss Sasuke right this minute. He did so a little enthusiastically though and his chair tipped over while he ended up in Sasuke's lap. Sasuke was caught by surprise but then wrapped his arms around the boy's waist, relishing in the taste of Naruto's mouth and the warmth of Naruto's body.

Naruto slid off without removing his mouth from Sasuke's and back up, tugging Sasuke with him. They backed up out of the kitchen and into the hall, still joined together, hands roaming over trousers and under shirts. They met a small bump when they got to the stairs as Naruto fell over backwards, pulling Sasuke with him.

"Stupid," Sasuke said affectionately, rubbing Naruto's head. "Are you alright?" Naruto replied by tugging Sasuke back down for another furious kiss. Without breaking it Sasuke's hands reached Naruto's tie and gleefully began undoing it, followed by Naruto's sweater and the buttons on his school shirt. Naruto sighed and arched his back as Sasuke began exploring his chest, running fingers over planes of honey coloured skin, tongue tracing his neck and teeth closing around nipples. Sasuke knew that this time he had no reason to stop and wanted nothing more than to be with Naruto again.

"Shirt," Naruto groaned. Sasuke sat up briefly to tug off his own t-shirt and went back to sucking and kissing while Naruto ran his hands over Sasuke's body.

The phone began ringing but neither paid any attention to it. Whoever it was could burn in hell. Nothing should keep them apart this time.

But life is a bitch.

"Sas-uke," Kakashi singsonged on the answering machine. "Pick up, I know you're there. Chances are you've got one of my charges there with you. Now, you know that the responsible thing to do would be to take Naruto to school or bring him back home so I can take him to school. Talented at art he may be but he doesn't really need to be getting behind in the rest of his subjects. But however, knowing you and considering how Naruto's been acting this past week I'm guessing he's in bed with you." Sasuke groaned and rested his forehead on Naruto's chest. Naruto pushed them both up and kissed Sasuke briefly before hopping up to get the phone.

"Hey, Kakashi. Any reason why you're ruining my love life?"

"I'm attempting to salvage the _rest_ of your life, thank you. Your A-levels aren't that far off. Whatever spat you have with Sakura..."

"No. I'm not going."

"Naruto," Kakashi warned. "I'll come drag you to school myself if you're not going to be reasonable."

"What the hell? Kakashi, you heard her!"

"She didn't mean it. Now would you stop being so childish and..."

"She did mean it! You saw her! You heard her! She's supposed to be my best friend and yet she keeps pulling all this crap!"

"You can't not go to school just because you're having an argument with a friend. Sakura's very sorry about what she said..."

"Why are you taking her side?" Naruto yelled and barely noticed when Sasuke slid up behind him, wrapping his arms around Naruto's waist, offering support.

"I'm not. She's just had a rough time lately and to be frank, I'm not feeling very fond of you right now."

"Yeah, like I haven't? She's right about one thing, we both have secrets. At least my secrets aren't making me ill!"

"No but they are affecting your sleep, aren't they, Naruto?" Kakashi continued in a low, smooth voice and Sasuke felt Naruto bubble with rage underneath his fingers. "How long will it be before Sasuke breaks your heart and you're in the same situation Sakura's in?" Naruto silently hung up the phone and then wriggled out of Sasuke's arms.

"I have to leave."

"Wait, what? Naruto, are you crazy?" Sasuke watched in shock as Naruto collected his clothing and sat down on the stairs to pull it on.

"No. He's going to come here to get me and I have to be gone when that happens."

"You're...running away?" Sasuke said. "Stay. We can take him."

"No, we can't," Naruto said firmly, attempting to do his tie. Shikamaru always did it for him or Shion did. "He'll make me go back to school. I can't see Sakura and now I can't see him either. I know I still have doubts about you but I don't like other people having doubts about you too. And now it's happened twice in one day so excuse me for being pissed off." Sasuke caught hold of Naruto's arm as he tried to leave and spun him round.

"Come here. Don't you know how to do a tie?" Sasuke said, tugging on it. Naruto looked down sheepishly.

"Someone else always does it for me." Sasuke did Naruto's tie up properly and kissed his forehead.

"It'll be ok. Somehow. I'll call Kakashi back and persuade him to let you stay here for the rest of the day. If he doesn't agree...we'll work that out later." Naruto pouted.

"He's not gonna listen."

"I'll make him. Go watch TV." Sasuke turned and counted to three before he heard an outraged shriek. "I'm not seven years old!"

"If you were what I just did with you would be illegal," Sasuke shot back. "Go sit and cool off." Naruto turned and went to the living room, sulking but Sasuke heard the Simpson's theme a few minutes later so he wasn't too worried about momentarily treating Naruto like a child. He picked up the phone and slid into the kitchen with it, grabbing his abandoned t-shirt along the way. He pressed redial as he pulled it on.

"Kakashi? It's me."

X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X

"This was fun," Naruto said, his mouth blue from cold. Sasuke rolled his eyes. There may only be three years between them but this was not what he counted as fun. Hell, even when he'd been seventeen this hadn't been fun.

"Oh, lighten up," Naruto said, licking his ice cream and Sasuke cursed food stuffs with sexy hidden agendas. If he didn't hate sweet stuff so much he'd lick the chocolate chip ice cream right off Naruto's lip. Naruto caught his lustful gaze and slowly dragged his tongue across his bottom lip to Sasuke's utter rage.

"Hey, you had the chance," Naruto teased. Sasuke scowled but inwardly was reminded of the bold, sexually aggressive boy he'd had sex with a week ago. Naruto wasn't like that sober but it amused Sasuke how sometimes this inner animal slipped through and drove Sasuke crazy.

"Come on," Sasuke prodded Naruto towards the direction of the car. Time to go home before your friends get back and Kakashi gets mad." Naruto pouted but allowed himself to be led by the hand – Sasuke was holding his hand! Sasuke was holding his hand! – back to the side street where they'd left the car before embarking on their date hours earlier.

"Finish that before you get in my car," Sasuke warned, eyeing Naruto's dripping ice cream cone. Naruto rolled his eyes and scanning the pavement chose a near by bench to inhale the last...bad idea.

"Ouch!" It was Sasuke's turn to roll his eyes.

"It's _cold_, stupid," Sasuke said, slightly amused as the blonde clutched at his head.

"Shut up!" Sasuke sighed and sat next to his...boyfriend? Lover? What?...while Naruto licked his mint chocolate chip a lot slower.

"Naruto?" Naruto paused, mid-lick, tongue buried in a pile of mint coloured mush. Sasuke berated himself for being more turned on by this than disgusted.

"Yeah?"

"What are we? To each other," Sasuke clarified when Naruto turned to him with an 'I'm just a dumb blonde, don't ask me' expression. Naruto coughed and looked down at the ground.

"Yeah, I knew what you meant, I just was hoping we didn't have to do this now," Naruto mumbled. "We're...complicated."

"Complicated? That' the best you can come up with?"

"That's 'cause they don't have a label for what _this_ is!" Naruto snapped. "I...what do you think this is?" Sasuke looked at the teenager, as radiant as an angel, innocent looking in his uniform but with the hopeful, 'not quite yet aware of how shit the world really is' look of a child. Sasuke couldn't help but snicker when he realised that somehow Naruto had hit the nail on the head.

"You're right. This is complicated." Naruto grinned and bit down on a piece of cone.

"Don't do that," Sasuke said, all humour gone. "That's just taunting me." Naruto stopped and then deliberately stuck his tongue out into the narrow opening of the cone and sucked some of the ice cream out.

"God, you're such a child," Sasuke said, exasperated but secretly thinking of better uses for that tongue.

"You're such a horny bastard."

"Tease."

"Whore."

"Slut."

"Jerk."

"Get in the _car_!"

The journey didn't take long, much to their chagrin. When they pulled up outside Naruto didn't move and Sasuke didn't urge him to leave either.

"When am I going to see you again?" Naruto asked softly.

"I'll come get you," Sasuke said firmly and Naruto's face closed off.

"Yeah, cause that worked so well the last time," he snapped sarcastically.

"This time it'll be different. Being apart doesn't work for us. I'll work out some way to see you, though it won't be easy," Sasuke warned. Naruto looked up at the front windows and saw Kakashi watching them from behind a curtain.

"No kidding," he groaned. "Ok. I'll wait for you." Sasuke smiled.

"Damn straight you will," he exclaimed and kissed Naruto before half pushing the blonde out of the car. "Now go. The bastard's leering at us. Stick an old coat and a scarf on him and he could be a scarecrow." Naruto snorted.

"That could explain the stick up his arse." Naruto shut the door and waved as Sasuke drove away. When the car had disappeared out of sight Naruto hopped up the steps and let himself in. Kakashi was there immediately, leaning in the living room doorway.

"Have a good time?" Naruto didn't answer as he slid off his shoes.

"Not talking to me, huh?" Naruto snapped upright and scowled.

"No. What the hell is wrong with you? You don't get to interfere in my life even if I do live in your house. You're not my father!" Kakashi stared at him with an eerie calm, head tilted to the side like Naruto was an experiment, something he was waiting to bubble over or explode or change colour.

If the conversation kept going the way it was, it was likely Naruto would actually do one of those three things.

"I care about you though. I know Sasuke. He's a good kid...but not exactly good with commitment."

"I know that!" Naruto shouted. "I know that," he repeated in a quieter voice. "Why are you so certain people can't change?" Kakashi looked at Naruto with a trace of disappointment as if in the end Naruto hadn't done anything interesting at all. When he didn't say anything Naruto huffed and stormed upstairs. He'd reached the top of the first flight when Kakashi spoke in a low voice, like he didn't want Naruto to hear.

"Why are you so certain people _can_?"

X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X

That night Naruto slept but his dreams were not any easier. At first they were blissful, of Sasuke's hair and Sasuke's eyes and the feelings of his long pale fingers on Naruto's skin. But then it changed.

"_How've you been, Naruto?" Sai asked, ignoring the black clouds of hate surrounding them._

"_Pretty shitty considering what you did," Kiba sniped and Shikamaru nodded, aura growing more murderous by the second. Sai only smirked and never once took his dark eyes off Naruto._

"_I was talking to him. He had his own mouth the last time I looked, dog breath. I'm surprised you haven't got rabies yet." Kiba's mouth opened and then he took in a breath of air, ready to let loose with the vulgar language he was so famous for. Naruto interfered before Kiba told Sai to go shove something up somewhere._

"_Guys? You can go. I'll be ok." Shikamaru looked surprised while Kiba downright refused._

"_Fuck no. I'm not letting this bastard get his claws into you again, no way." Naruto touched Kiba's arm. He wanted to have fun this evening and forget Sai but apparently that just wasn't going to happen._

"_Five minutes. Let us talk for five minutes. You can watch us. Just I've got some things to say, ok?" Kiba narrowed his eyes and then gave in._

"_I'll be counting. And if you so much as touch him or say something he doesn't like I shall take great pleasure in beating your ass into the marble staircase." Sai smiled as Kiba threatened him and Naruto watched as his friends reluctantly left._

"_So we have five minutes. Good because I have some things I want to say to you too," said Sai in a voice like treacle and Naruto shivered, disgusted that he'd ever let this man touch him._

"_Yeah, five minutes for me to tell you to stay the fuck away from me," Naruto said in a low voice, keeping his face neutral. Kiba and Shikamaru hovered at a distance that allowed them to hear raised voices and close enough to intervene if punches were thrown. Oh and Naruto was tempted. All that hate and jealousy and anger that he'd suppressed and hidden for the sake of his friends came up when faced with the man who'd betrayed him._

"_That's not nice," Sai reprimanded him._

"_Neither's fucking someone else!"Naruto flinched and then realised he'd raised his voice. Two girls standing nearby looked scandalised and hurried off. Sai raised an eyebrow._

"_Causing a scene in public. That's not polite either. Your mutt friend has a bad influence on you," Sai tutted and Naruto's fingers involuntarily curled into a fist._

"_Tell me one thing," Naruto said. He needed to know this although it would probably tear him apart._

"_Ok," Sai said, caught off guard._

"_This guy. What did he have that I didn't? Why did you choose him over me?" Sai laughed. Naruto realised it was something he'd rarely heard not in all the months they'd been together. _

"_A lot of things. He wasn't anything like you. I decided to keep you both. But that just pissed you off."_

"_And what about him?" Sai glanced over at Naruto's friends, anxiously watching the time tick by until they could rescue Naruto._

"_He knew he was the 'mistress' as it was. But he never minded."_

"_Are you still together?" Naruto tried as hard as he could to keep his voice from shaking but Sai heard it anyway. He knew that Naruto was losing both his internal battle and this one. The broken hearted always lose. The ones that fall in love always lose._

"_No. I got bored."_

"_So you threw us both aside," Naruto hissed in disgust. Sai shrugged and turned to pour them both drinks from the table, reaching out and snagging a bottle of Malibu from a nearby girl. She was already drunk enough to not protest when the bottle vanished from her sight._

"_Well, you dumped me as I recall. And things with...they got complicated. Once they found out I was finished with you they got clingy. So I ended that. Figured I'd come to the party to find someone else."_

"_God, you're despicable," Naruto snarled, wishing he could get a microphone and announce what a douche Sai was to the entire party, just for the safety and emotional well being of the carefree party goers._

"_Come now, Naruto," Sai soothed, holding out a glass to him. "Just because things ended badly doesn't mean we can't be civil. I'm fairly certain we can spend a few hours at a party together without it ending in a fight." Naruto hesitated and reached out and took the cup._

"_Right? After all, it's a big house. I bet we'll hardly see each other." Naruto suspiciously sipped and felt relieved as Kiba and Shikamaru pushed their way through the crowd with a determination to get him away from Sai as fast as possible. Sai had seen them too and he looked bemused. Naruto felt a tiny sliver of dread in the bottom of his stomach. Like he should leave now. Like this party was going to go downhill from here. Just before Naruto's friends reached them Sai briefly took Naruto's hand and the cold, smoothness of it startled Naruto so that he didn't let go._

"_We'll be friends. What could go wrong?"_

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I know it's late, I'm sorry. It's long to make up for it. But hey, when your life goes down the plug hole your inspiration tends to go with it, you know?

If you wanna complain about the lack of smut go ahead. I plan on making you wait for it for a while longer though. Trying to figure out the best place to whack it in when you least expect it.

As always please tell me what you thought about this chapter. I thought my writing was a little off in this one but that could be authoress paranoia. Any more theories review and tell me them. I'm not gonna tell you anything but I love reading them. Maybe replying and taunting you a little. XD

Also I'm thinking of changing my name soon. Just a heads up. Not too soon cause I haven't got a good one yet (suggestions welcome) I'm just fed up of this one (yes, again. I know I change it a lot.)

My final words are: Sakura is evil. I love Morticia Addams. Do not leave a stray tissue alone with two Chihuahua puppies. It's not pretty.


	7. The agony of lying

Friday 4:12pm - Naruto

"Where are you?" Naruto wondered. He spun on his heel trying to catch a glimpse of Kiba's distinctive wild hair and Shikamaru's ponytail. He turned again and snapped into the phone.

"No, _I'm_ standing in the centre! I can see McDonalds and Next and Waterstones from here. Seriously, where are you?" There was a moment of confusion while Kiba woke Shikamaru up and Naruto could hear swearing and a hurried conversation taking place on the other end of the line. Finally Kiba returned, sounding sheepish.

"Heh, sorry, mate. Turns out we're in the shopping centre on the other side of town."

"You're idiots," Naruto said callously, searching for a bench to sit on until his friends arrived.

"As opposed to you?" Kiba lowered his voice, aware of Shikamaru nearby. "I mean, exactly how many people want to keep you and Lover boy apart?"

"Shut up," Naruto grouched, pissed off that there weren't any free benches. He spotted one near the fountain occupied by only a red haired girl and hurried over there before it was taken. The girl looked up from her magazine and glared but Naruto paid her no attention.

"Look, it's complicated."

"You've said. Key word being. Recurring theme. It's getting boring," Kiba said. Naruto snorted, despite the fact that the girl had turned it up from 'laser' to 'death glare.'

"Tell me about it."

"Well..."

"Shut up. Just get here already." Naruto flicked the phone shut and sighed. The girl next to him uncrossed and crossed her legs, shifting her position. Naruto's eyes drifted to the page she was on and almost screamed.

"Hey!" She protested as Naruto launched himself across the bench to rip the magazine out of her hands. "What the hell do you think you're doing, you freak?" Naruto ignored her and jabbed at the page.

"This guy here. You know he is, right?" Naruto demanded. The girl narrowed her eyes behind her glasses and nodded.

"Yeah. That's Sasuke Uchiha. You know, the famous model's son?"

"Famous model?" Naruto asked. The girl rolled her eyes as if this should be common knowledge and Naruto was stupid for not knowing it.

"Yeah. Mikoto Uchiha?" the girl said slowly. "She retired when she got married – to this business millionaire, I might add – and Sasuke is their son, second son. He's even signed with the same agency she was, Shari Hannigan's models."

Great. His boyfriend is a nationwide famous male model from an even more famous family. Bollocks.

"He's so hot," the girl gushed. Naruto knew that already, but Sasuke frozen in a photo, half dressed with leather trousers, staring sultrily at the camera was downright porn material.

"He lives here, you know," the girl said, gleefully. Naruto didn't doubt that she spent most of her time trying to find where exactly Sasuke lived.

"Goodie," Naruto muttered sarcastically, passing the magazine back to her. The girl tossed her long hair, clearly insulted at her obsession being mocked.

"Pfft, I'd bet you'd do him," she remarked casually before collecting her bag and tucking the magazine under her arm. "I would if I had the chance." Naruto pulled a disgusted face at her departing back and then slumped in the seat as his phone began to ring.

"Yeah, I did actually," Naruto groaned. What comeback that would have been...

"Naruto!" Kiba waved from across the shopping centre, bringing attention to him and a less enthusiastic Shikamaru who was hanging behind with his arms folded.

Naruto got up, now half reluctant to spend time with his best friends when all he wanted to do was go see Sasuke and then he felt guilty for thinking it. He hooked his mobile back out of his pocket and quickly typed a text while waving to his friends.

"Hey! What film do you want to see?" Naruto greeted them but Shikamaru's eyes were typically on the phone.

"Who are you texting?" he asked, somehow sounding bored despite his suspicion. Naruto smiled a wide, innocent smile.

"No one important. Shall we go?" he lied easily and pretended not to notice Shikamaru's eyes on him as he turned away.

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Friday, 4:20 - Sasuke

Naruto had no idea that at that exact moment in time Sasuke was on the second floor in Borders, choosing a new novel to read (it seemed that when you were as rich as he was the library was not an option) and Sakura was in a cafe on the third floor with Ino. But he would stay unaware of it for now.

Sasuke looked through the new releases with no particular interest. There was a bunch of girls buzzing around a nearby bookshelf and even without looking at them Sasuke knew they recognised him and it was only a matter of time before he was ambushed.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, signalling a text and he hooked it out without even looking. He was expecting his agency or his brother so he was surprised to find a somewhat furious text from Naruto. He smiled to himself, imagining the scowl on Naruto's face and his blue eyes scrunched up as he yelled.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the girls getting more hysterical and knew they were urging each other to go talk to him so he swiftly vanished through the bookcases and out of the door before they had a chance.

Sasuke remembered that there was a cafe on the top floor and turned in the direction of the elevator. He could call Naruto from there and ask him to come over. It was after four so Naruto was out of school already. Sasuke cursed. He didn't want to have to go to Kakashi's house.

The cafe upstairs had lots of leather couches and beanbags, soft lighting and bright posters. It was extremely popular with teenagers and young adults who liked to stream in after work or school, get a coffee and read a magazine or chat in a corner. Sasuke didn't come here often due to the fact that it was very close to three separate schools and he might get mobbed but this cafe did excellent coffees and had quiet corners for reading in which suited Sasuke just fine.

Because it was after school it was fairly busy with groups of teenagers. Sasuke glared at anyone who got too into his personal space and when it was his turn, wrinkled his nose at the selection of latte-frappe-chocolate things with cream and ordered a simple coffee. Waiting for it to be ready he let his eyes drift over the crowds milling around and covering the beanbags and sofas in groups, laughing and talking. A blissful smell of strong coffee and pastries filled the air as did the giggles of teenagers. There was a wide variety of clothes, both casual and school uniforms, and ages. There were brightly coloured bangles and pins, designer bags and unusually coloured hair.

Very unusually coloured hair.

But as Sasuke turned to pick up his coffee the flash of pink-blonde hair and the face attached to it vanished out of his eye line.

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Friday 4:36 - Sakura

"Sakura?" Ino leant over the table and prodded Sakura's arm. "Hey, Sakura!" Sakura jolted out of her daze and looked at her best friend.

"Yes? Sorry," she said lamely. Ino shook her head.

"God, could you get your head out of the clouds for one minute?" Ino exclaimed. She leaned over to try and get a better view. "What were you staring at...woah." Sakura cringed as Ino stared open mouthed at the guy in skinny jeans and a black top.

"Hottie!" Ino said. "You weren't gonna tell me, were you?"

The truth? Of course not. But instead Sakura smiled innocently and said "Of course not." Ino smirked.

"Well, if it were me I wouldn't have either." Sakura didn't say anything but prayed with a sinking heart that he would not see her. She hunched even more behind the large potted plant that half hi her from view as he turned around, holding a mug. Ino gaped, tugged on Sakura's arm and pointed.

"Look! It's him! From that party! The model guy!"

"Yes, Ino," Sakura said, completely tired already. This was meant to be a totally calm, fun shopping trip, where she could try and forget all the hassles and secrets. But now he was here, a person she was determined to never see again. To make sure nobody knew.

"Why are you acting so weird?" Ino asked, suspicion clear in her voice. "Usually you'd take more of an interest in things like this." Sakura shrugged.

"Just tired, I guess," she tried but it was the wrong answer. Since her collapse her friends had been super suspicious of any sign of illness or unusual symptoms.

"Go to a doctor! You convinced Kakashi last time it wasn't necessary but I think that was a stupid move." Sakura inwardly cursed. She'd taken great care to eat more and get more rest, even going as far as cutting down on some of her activities just so she wouldn't wear herself out while she was...well, in her state anyway. Her usual routine had put too much of a strain on her body.

It had been over a month now. Sakura was starting to worry about when it was no longer possible to hide it. Even going so far to think about...

She shook herself mentally. No. That wouldn't be necessary. She'd never agreed with that method: after all, although she had drama as her special skill at school she'd always taken an interest in medicine because of an old family friend she'd admired. The thing she'd repeated to her was that doctors preserve life, not destroy it. As a young girl, Sakura had taken it to heart.

"I'm not that tired." She forced herself to smile. "Besides I've just heard some things about that guy. He's not good news." Ino leered and then shrugged.

"Ok. Whatever. Throws good parties though," she added. Sakura sipped her hot chocolate and munched on a mini marshmallow. She seemed to have dodged the bullet for now.

Oh bugger, oh bugger, never mind the bullet, what about the minefield? He was coming this way! Sakura hid as much as she could and let her hair fall in front of her face, obscuring her features. He sat down at a table next to them, with his back to her. Sakura let out a soft sigh of relief. Hopefully they could leave before he had a chance to see her.

Sasuke – up close she could see for sure it was indeed him – sat down in his chair with a soft sigh, relaxed for a moment, drinking his coffee and then pulled a phone out of his pocket. He selected a number from his phonebook and when he spoke it was different from how Sakura remembered. The last time she'd heard it, it had been ice cold, empty, furious. Now for the first time she heard some warmth, affection, and she wondered who he was talking to.

"Hey. You said you wanted to talk?" There was noise on the other end of the phone and judging by the volume the other person was yelling. Sasuke chuckled slightly, amused by their anger and then purred "So why don't I pick you up? We could go on another date and I could explain everything." There was silence while the other person contemplated this.

"Well, where are you now?" Sasuke's eyes widened briefly and then he said "Oh, no, it's no problem. I can pick you up. I'll take you to my flat. My parents' house is not exactly interruption free after all. Besides they'll be back from their trip in a few days. Better leave it as I found it." Beside her Ino made a face but Sakura didn't stop to think about why, just strained to hear his next words.

"When are you going to be done? No, you can have as much time as you like. I'm actually in the top floor cafe. Ok, great, see you then." Sasuke flicked the phone shut and picked up his mug again. Ino winced and leaned over to whisper "Ugh, I can see what you meant. I bet you someone just found out they've been cheated on and now he's trying to smooth it over." Sakura didn't argue, just nodded.

Not long after Sasuke finished his coffee and left. Ino watched him go out the door and then stretched her long arms, her feathery blonde hair tumbling over the back of the chair.

"So where do you want to go?"

"The first floor has some nice shops," Sakura said, faking an interest. Ino got up and fished her first lot of purchases from under the table.

"This is nice, you know? We never go out just the two of us anymore."

"Mmm."

The elevator had just vanished, taking Sasuke with it, but neither girl noticed, choosing instead to work off their doughnuts and mini marshmallows on the stairs.

"I want a new CD," Ino mused, playing with a platinum strand as they clattered down the steps. "What's good out right now?"

"Oh, um..." Sakura racked her brain for what was in the charts right now but came up short. Guess for the past few months she'd been a bit out of the loop with all that stuff.

"Just get that Pixie Lott CD. You liked it, right?" Sakura said finally. Ino nodded enthusiastically.

"Good plan. Look, there's HMV." Sakura let herself be dragged along and then watched Ino vanish into the rows of CDs and DVDs. She knew that Ino would spend forever, finding other CDs she wanted, not being able to decide and the discovering a film they all just _had_ to watch. Sakura drifted to the latest releases section just so she'd look like she was doing something and it was when she was flicking through the rack that something caught her eye.

Naruto drifted in, tie missing, shirt untucked, the usual after school appearance. He walked right past her without seeing her deeper into the store. Sakura was about to call out to him when someone stepped out from behind a display and Sakura dropped the CD she'd been holding in shock.

Sasuke and Naruto were speaking like they were old friends. Worse than that. Sasuke gently brushed Naruto's cheek, not even checking if anyone was looking. Naruto's face was bright, happy, split into a wide grin and then twisted into a teasing scowl. Sasuke laughed – really laughed – and spoke again. Sakura realised with a sickening thud that it had been Naruto on the phone. But what had they been talking about? What was it Naruto wanted to talk about so badly.

Sakura began to feel sick. What if Sasuke had told him about her? Or was going to? The way Naruto was looking at Sasuke with such devotion made the rage bubble up inside her, furious and hot.

When Sasuke turned and began searching for something in the horror film section Naruto finally saw her. Throwing a startled glance towards Sasuke's back, he hurried over to her.

"Sakura! Hi. I forgot you were here with Ino." His discomfort was obvious. Her stomach squirmed.

"Yeah," she said weakly. He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder.

"I just met a friend and we're going out. I probably won't be home for dinner, ok? Could you do me a favour and tell Kakashi?" His eyes narrowed as he focused on her pale face and clenched fingers.

"Sakura, are you ok?"

Sakura was smart. She was known for thinking on the spot and her superb acting ability. She was not proud of what she did next but she saw her chance...

...and she took it.

"No," Sakura whimpered and half dropped to the floor.

"Oh my God!" Naruto crouched down by her. "What's wrong?"

"I feel so sick. I think there was something wrong with my lunch," Sakura said, turning her wide, green eyes on him. Naruto was a sucker for a puppy dog look and this time was no exception.

But still Naruto was torn. Inside Sakura raged that Sasuke had so much power over him.

"Well, isn't Ino here? Couldn't she take you home?"

"No!" Sakura gripped his hand. "Please stay with me." Tears threatened to spill over her perfectly outlined lids and that was all it took. Naruto nodded and helped her up. Ino came running over.

"I knew you weren't feeling well!" Ino yelled.

"Ino, it's fine," Sakura said softly. "I'm sure it was my lunch this time."

"You have no luck, do you?" Ino said, taking her friend's arm. "Naruto, you coming?" Naruto nodded.

"Yeah, i just..have to tell someone I'm going. Wait outside for me and call Kakashi."

Sakura watched over her shoulder as he ran down the aisle and tapped Sasuke on the shoulder. Sasuke turned around with a smile which quickly faded as Naruto explained. It gave way to a look of rage and Sakura made sure he caught her eye when he twisted to see. She made sure to put as much anger and determination into her eyes as possible.

_I win this round._

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So, guys, what do you think? ^^ She's a bitch, huh? As always if you have theories, I love hearing them!

Don't worry, your porn is coming soon! Not too many chapters to go. I wanted the anticipation and also to make sure it had a point, you know? Not just random smut, it will have a purpose! (There's a sentence I bet you thought you'd never hear.)

Anyway, review please! I sat down the other day cause I was bored and several more plot twists and ideas were spawned (why can't any of those be used for the rewrite of Falling?)

I'm thinking this is going to end up a fairly long fic. .

Oh and thank Kaz/ABCoolness for me getting this chapter out a lot quicker than I would have done otherwise. The endless poking just got annoying. XD


	8. The agony of doubt

Little bit shorter than my usual, sorry. But it's hot and my brain has difficulties functioning. Hope it's a good enough chapter though.

I don't really have a lot to say.

Sen is over and out.

X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X

The smug look on Sakura's face made Sasuke want to storm across the shop and kick it in. But the minute the pretty blonde girl rushed to her side it shifted to one of vulnerability. The thought that Naruto could be friends with someone so fake disgusted Sasuke.

"Sasuke?" Naruto looked so incredibly beautiful, like an angel even in the harsh light of HMV. The lopsided school uniform made Sasuke want to rip it off again – when had he become such a perv for people in uniforms? – and those stunning blue eyes were questioning, curious.

Sasuke could see Sakura watching out of the corner of her eye and in a typical Sasuke move, decided to give her something to watch. His hand darted out, tugged on Naruto's collar and pulled the teenager into a kiss that not only made Naruto go bright red but anyone else in the vicinity stare open-mouthed or look away in embarrassment. Naruto squirmed uncomfortably under Sasuke's forceful mouth and the stares of the other customers. Sasuke let Naruto go, grinning smugly at the breathless boy.

Ha! Two could play at that game. Passing Sakura on the way out he gave her a look that was a challenge. Won the battle maybe but this was war.

Sakura seethed as Sasuke passed her, the smug expression mirroring her own face from just moments before. The flushed, dazed look on Naruto's face suggested he'd quite enjoyed the kiss and that surprisingly didn't make her mad: it hurt. She knew Naruto made mistakes but that was when he was drunk. Naruto was now sober and clearly infatuated with Sasuke. Clearly so...falling in love.

"Naruto, move it," Ino snapped, having missed the kiss and Sasuke altogether due to her being preoccupied with Sakura. "Should we call Kakashi? Can you manage the bus or will you puke?"

"Uh, Shikamaru and Kiba are around here somewhere," Naruto remembered. "We should call them in case they want to come home too." Sakura silently cursed how things had turned out. She would now be stuck in bed for most of the weekend for no reason at all and she'd made Ino worry again. And dragging Naruto away from Sasuke didn't seem to have worked, all thanks to that kiss.

Sakura shut her eyes as she was led outside to the nearest bus stop and barely noticed when Kiba and Shikamaru arrived. When she was finally free to lean her head against the bus window and think in silence she wondered how she'd ever got into such a mess and why it kept getting more and more complicated and how she was sure she'd never be able to untangle herself completely again.

X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X

Sasuke took his frustration out on the dashboard, several cigarettes and then unfortunately for everybody else, any pedestrians or drivers that happened to be in his way on the drive back to his parents' house. Barely suppressing screams he let himself in and slammed the door behind him, not caring when several fragile things rattled. Itachi didn't look up from his newspaper.

"What now?" Itachi asked. Sasuke walked into the living room and leaned on the doorframe, forgetting his anger for the moment.

"You have a house of your own, go to it sometime," he sniped. Itachi smirked.

"What about you? And that flat...or slut hut, I really should call it," Itachi added under his breath. Sasuke ignored him and flopped onto the sofa.

"That bitch is going to pay," he spat out and Itachi sighed.

"What have you done now?" Sasuke sat up, indignant.

"I haven't done anything! It's her fault!"

"Mmm. Who's 'she' and what has she done?" Sasuke lay down again, only slightly irritated his brother was playing psychiatrist but he needed to talk to somebody.

"Sakura. Bitch," Sasuke hissed again, finding impossible to say one word without the other.

"And what did she do?"

"Everything! God, I can't believe Naruto's friends with someone like her! That underhanded, backstabbing, lying..." Itachi cut Sasuke off mid-stream.

"Yes, yes. Get to the point, Sasuke."

"I was supposed to see Naruto today. She pulled some fake 'I'm ill, take me home' crap and he buckled. I got ditched and had to see her ugly, smug little face, thinking she'd won."

"Naruto?" Itachi asked, recalling the blonde boy lying on top of his brother on the kitchen floor. "You've been seeing him?" Sasuke shrugged.

"You know, sort of," Sasuke hedged. "It's hard though. It's not like we can have a normal relationship." Itachi's face was comical.

"Sorry, did you just say 'relationship'?" Itachi asked incredulously. Sasuke looked guilty.

"I did. So?" he protested and Itachi almost laughed.

"You don't do relationships," Itachi pointed out. "God, what is this kid doing to you? I wouldn't have thought he was your type at all."

"Yeah, well, maybe that's it. I can't get him off my mind, I want to sleep with only him and there are so many people who want to keep us apart it's insane."

"Oh? Who and why?" Itachi asked. Sometimes his brother's life was way better than TV. Sasuke sat up and began ticking them off his fingers.

"Neji because...I have no idea. I'm a bad influence and Naruto shouldn't be exposed to stuff like that. Tenten –Neji's friend cause...Ok, I really have no idea about her. I think she just likes threatening people. Kakashi, same reason as Neji. And Sakura..." Sasuke trailed off.

"Sakura...?" Itachi prodded. Sasuke was silent for a moment.

"She thinks I'll tell Naruto what we did," Sasuke said finally.

X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X

Shikamaru shut the door behind him and hopped down the steps, whistling. No one had stopped him or asked where he was going as he left: they knew that it was just that time again. They didn't offer to tag along on this particular day or ask him to pick up anything while he was out.

Shikamaru was a man of clockwork. Well, actually he was really a man of sleep but he liked there to be no surprises, a routine. He'd already planned out his life and expected there to be no bumps, no unexpected twists, nothing that wasn't in the plan. So, Saturday afternoons after lunch he simply left the house, navigated a few streets to a red front door and let himself in.

"Hey, I'm here!" he called out as the door shut behind him. Shikamaru waited but there was no reply so he slid off his shoes and crept through the hall. It was similarly designed to Kakashi's own house but much smaller: well, Kakashi was almost a millionaire after all.

The wooden floors were occasionally covered by thick rugs, none of which matched. The surfaces were dotted with photos: so many that an outsider would suspect that maybe an avid photographer lived here or an old woman whose loved ones had passed away but Shikamaru knew better. The other decorations were fairly typical of a beautiful townhouse like this one: several pretty paintings, indoor plants and blossoming flowers that were care for by the loving wife and candles that were rarely lit.

The living room was silent but Shikamaru nudged open the door anyway on a hunch. He'd guessed right and he smiled fondly seeing Kurenai passed out on the couch like that.

"Sleeping there can't be good for your back," he muttered, searching behind an armchair for a blanket. "Besides what if you fell off? Your weight definitely breaks the scales nowadays..."

He only said this because he was sure she was asleep. He wouldn't live to see the next day if she wasn't.

He pulled the blanket over her – she didn't even stir – and went to the kitchen to make tea, pulling teabags and sugar and mugs out of the cupboards, knowing where everything was. Sure enough, as the kettle clicked off, Kurenai wandered in, rubbing her eyes.

"I've told you not to sleep on that old sofa," Shikamaru chided her gently as she flopped ungracefully in a chair, blanket flung loosely around her shoulders. Shikamaru deftly poured a stream of hot water into the mismatched cups. "You'll hurt yourself eventually. I swear there's a spring loose in it too. It'll poke through and end up piercing something..." Kurenai yawned.

"Shikamaru, for such a clever boy, you do worry far too much. And irrationally too."

"Not irrationally," Shikamaru protested, placing a mug in front of her and sitting down with his own. "Not in your condition anyway," he said, looking meaningfully at her stomach. Kurenai patted her huge belly lovingly and sipped her tea with the other hand.

"Yes but an alien is not going to burst out and destroy all of mankind," she teased. "I'm not the bloody queen of Sheba, you don't need to cater to my every need and whim."

"Kurenai. You're eight months pregnant. Would it kill you to get some perspective?"

"Don't know. Is it poisonous?" He rolled his eyes at her weak humour and then fixed her with the glare he gave Naruto and Kiba when they used the girls' bras to shoot things off the roof.

"I don't think it's good for you to live by yourself when you're like this. You should come stay with us..." Kurenai held up a hand.

"Yes, because six teenagers will really lower my stress levels," she sighed. "And of course, Kakashi who's as immature as all of you put together. Shikamaru, I'm fine. I have the doctor's on speed dial, you don't live that far away and Shizune next door is an excellent nurse. It's going to be fine." Shikamaru nodded, not reassured entirely.

"It'd be better if..." he trailed off. Kurenai smiled. Even after all this time he still clammed up when it was ok to talk about it.

"I wish he was here too," she said softly. Shikamaru shifted uncomfortably.

"I still don't think you should be here by yourself."

"Shikamaru," she interrupted. "Go make more tea and don't change the subject." There was silence for a while except for the whistling of the kettle. Kurenai knew not to push it and waited for Shikamaru to talk about it himself.

"Did you ever think that it would happen?" Kurenai leaned her head on her palm.

"I hoped it wouldn't but I had to be logical about it. He was a policeman: dangerous things happen all the time."

"But what if..." Shikamaru started. Kurenai shook her head.

"Don't," she warned him.

"If I ever see that guy I'm going to kill him, I swear," and the hate in his voice startled her. She'd presumed of course that he'd worked through his grief like she had or maybe she'd only thought that because after Asuma's death and the discovery that she was pregnant, Shikamaru was the one who supported her and took time to watch stupid movies with her, get baby supplies, tidy the house. But maybe after all, he'd been so focused on taking care of her he'd never had the time to work out his anger properly.

"He's in prison, Shikamaru. And he's not getting out," she said calmly. The kettle sat silent, forgotten.

"What if he does? Maybe not now but in twenty years, thirty? They don't keep them in there forever."

"A drug ring and several counts of murder," she said flatly, as though he hadn't spoken.

"It still doesn't make up for the fact that Asuma's dead!" Shikamaru yelled and kicked one of the cabinets. Kurenai let him.

"No..." she whispered. "No."

"I still think it's a dream sometimes," Shikamaru said sullenly. Kurenai smiled ruefully.

"So do I. I dreamt about it a lot before when he was alive and woke up in a panic...but it's been six months. It's not a dream. We'll get through this." Shikamaru walked over and took her hand.

"Yeah, we will. Call me anytime, day or night, do you promise me?" he said fiercely. "If I don't take care of you and the baby, Asuma'll pound me into dust in the afterlife." Kurenai watched as he got back up to reboil the kettle and thought in the back of her mind that maybe her baby would have a strong male role model after all.

X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X

"Naruto!" Kiba howled suddenly, dropping the phone onto the table, in too much of a hurry to put it back in the cradle. "Naruto!" Yelling wasn't about to disturb anyone except for Akamaru and Kakashi's dogs who all looked up at Kiba's high pitched wail. Kakashi was out, scouring local bookstores, Shikamaru was at Kurenai's and the girls were sitting outside on deckchairs at the end of the garden, equipped with magazines, ice cream and suntan lotion, making the most of the unusual early June sunshine.

Naruto appeared, hanging over the edge of the second floor banister, in a white t-shirt and shorts.

"What?" he asked in a daze. The heat had gotten to him too. Half an hour before Kiba had found him experimenting with ice cubes until Akamaru had almost choked on a Dr. Pepper one.

"Neji!" Kiba yelled. Naruto dropped the magazine he'd been fanning himself with.

"What do you mean 'Neji?" Naruto yelped. Kiba took the last flight of stairs two at a time.

"That was him on the phone! He's coming here!"

"Shit," Naruto cursed. "If he asks me whether I've been seeing that guy, how likely is it he's going to know I'm lying?" Kiba dithered for about two seconds.

"Very likely."

"Damn. How long until he gets here?"

"Uh, ten minutes?" Naruto fled back to his room and began shoving things into drawers and under the bed. He picked up the magazines he'd bought that featured Sasuke and shove them all on top of his wardrobe.

"How the hell am I going to lie?" Naruto asked desperately. Kiba shrugged and flopped onto the bed, snagging a magazine shoved under Naruto's pillow. Naruto inwardly cried. Why that magazine? And why had he left it there? Ok, so he knew exactly why he'd left it there but he wasn't proud of it...

"Dude, why's this under your pillow?" Kiba asked in confusion, flicking through it. Naruto froze, half in terror and half listening for cars on the street, aware that he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Seriously, this is some chick magazine. Why have you got it...?" Kiba stopped as he turned to a certain page that had been earmarked and took a closer look. Naruto waited for the inevitable. "Hey, I know this guy! Didn't we see him on...no, no, no!" Kiba pointed at Naruto's bright red, guilty face and knew. "Oh my God, this guy?" Kiba hissed in accusation. "Naruto!" Naruto leapt forward and tugged the magazine out of Kiba's hands, slammed it shut and shoved it back under his pillow.

"That's the guy Neji wants you to stay away from? Why didn't you tell me your boyfriend is totally famous? No, your boyfriend is a total douche! Naruto!" Kiba wailed. Naruto bit his lip.

"So this is the guy you had sex with on Friday night," Kiba said finally. "And you've been seeing ever since." Naruto nodded and sat down next to his best friend.

"You see why I didn't tell you? We've got enough people trying to keep us apart," Naruto said sullenly. Kiba leaned over and snatched the magazine back to wave it in Naruto's face.

"Naruto, this can't end well. Someone's going to get hurt. Probably you!" Naruto shook his head.

"I like him," Naruto insisted stubbornly. "And he likes me." But Naruto knew it was already too late: Kiba was giving him that look, the one of people who think they know better simply because they usually do. But this was not the case this time.

"Naruto, you've already told me how complicated you guys are. I mean, the only way these types of relationships usually work is in some crappy movie and this is real life. I can't sit back and watch you get your heart broken. _Again_," Kiba emphasised and Naruto winced.

"I won't. Kiba, I'm not stupid. If Sasuke was really like that – anything like Sai – I'd know. I'll be fine," Naruto tried to reassure him. Kiba flung the magazine against the wall in disgust.

"No, Naruto, you are being so stupid! Why the hell can't you see that?" Kiba snarled, standing up.

"Because I can't..." Naruto mumbled. Downstairs the doorbell rang but neither moved. When moments had passed and it rang again, impatient this time, Kiba shook his head, pity passing over his face.

"Maybe you just don't want to see it," he said before walking out. Naruto could hear his footsteps on the stairs, hurrying to let Neji in, so he slid off the bed to fetch the magazine. He uncreased the pages and took a final look at Sasuke's dark eyes and lean body. Was it really just lust? Was he making a huge mistake by getting sucked in by another player again?

"Naruto?" Neji's voice echoed up the stairs. "Hey, I thought we'd go bowling with Tenten and Lee, come on!" Naruto shoved the flickers of anxiety to the back of his head while he hastily hid the magazine and grabbed some socks and his trainers and lied to himself that the one percent of doubt in his mind didn't matter at all.


	9. The agony of what's to come

"He won't speak to me!" Sasuke lazily looked at his boyfriend sprawled out on the couch, whining like a child. Naruto's cheeks were flushed with frustration and his school shirt was untucked allowing flashes of soft, tanned skin every time he moved.

"It's been a week! A week!" Naruto ranted. "And he's still mad at me! Does he think I don't know what I'm doing?"

"_Do_ you know what you're doing?" Naruto looked at Sasuke, half naked and wearing only a loose pair of pyjama bottoms slouched in the armchair like a porn star. As always the blush rose to Naruto's cheeks.

"Well, not totally," he mumbled. "But he's my best friend! He's meant to trust me!" Sasuke sighed. The blonde appeared regularly on his doorstep now and usually raided Sasuke's fridge or his mouth. Once Sasuke had come home to find Itachi and Naruto talking and laughing at the kitchen table. Not that had been unpleasant. Sasuke had stood frozen in the doorway watching the blonde. Naruto was such a part of his life now. Having him taken away would be like ripping off one of his limbs. Or his heart.

"Don't ask me for relationship advice," Sasuke chose to say instead. "I'm only good with questions about sex positions." Naruto, Sasuke noted with amusement, looked half disgusted and half interested by that sentence.

"People will begin to notice soon," Naruto sighed. "Seven people can't live together in the same house without noticing things." Sasuke rolled his eyes. Naruto's preference of being surrounded by people was beyond him. Sasuke only ever took one night stands into his flat and usually unceremoniously kicked them out the next morning.

"It was the shock. He'll get over it." Sasuke lazily stretched and Naruto watched his muscles tense and then relax.

"I hope so," he replied. But so far Kiba hadn't shown any sign of forgetting his anger. He wouldn't even pause long enough to let Naruto explain.

"Sasuke..." Naruto asked in a small voice. "What if he tells?" Sasuke opened his mouth and then shut it again. He didn't know. That was the thing they were most afraid of. Already Itachi knew, and Kakashi. How much longer until the rest of Naruto's friends found out? Neji? Sakura?

Sasuke wondered if their relationship could handle any more contempt and anger. He couldn't care less what people thought but Naruto did.

Sasuke wordlessly held his arms out and Naruto crossed the room to come to him. Sasuke stroked the boy's hair.

"I don't know. But it'll be ok." There was a pause while the two took comfort in each other's scents and smooth skin. Then Naruto's voice came, muffled by Sasuke's shoulder.

"Liar."

X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X

The knock on his door came shortly after Naruto had left. Sasuke sighed heavily, although he'd been expecting this. He picked up his shirt and pulled it over his head. He doubted his visitor would appreciate his bare chest as much as Naruto had.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked rudely. Kiba glared back at him.

"I came to talk to you. Can I come in?" Sasuke flicked his eyes up and down Naruto's best friend.

"That depends."

"On what?" Kiba asked. Sasuke's mouth twitched.

"On whether I think you're tall enough to punch me." Kiba scowled.

"I could take you," he insisted, shoving past Sasuke into the house. Sasuke rolled his eyes and shut the door.

"The living room's through there. Try to not put dog hairs anywhere." The two sat on opposite sides of the room. Sasuke waited for the explosion and Kiba did not disappoint.

"What do you want with Naruto?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"I don't want anything from him. He's welcome to leave me if he likes." Though Sasuke dreaded the day that happened. Recently he'd started having a dream where he and Naruto were together in his flat and everything was normal: they were laughing and kissing. Then Sasuke would look up and Naruto wasn't there anymore. Inwardly Sasuke was terrified of this dream becoming real.

"You must be using him for something!" Kiba insisted. Sasuke's fists clenched.

"I'm not using him, as you put it. I like him. You don't get to come into my house and start accusing me of mistreating him when I've done nothing so far. Furthermore, I don't intend to hurt him."

"You've done it before. You'll do it again. People don't change easily," Kiba said sullenly.

"They do. If they have a reason enough for it they do," Sasuke said without missing a beat. Kiba laughed, but it was the kind without any humour or warmth in it.

"Is that what you told Naruto? That this time it'll be different? Please," Kiba said in disgust. "That sounds like leading him on to me."

"It's not. Naruto's special." Sasuke pressed on when Kiba snorted. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about him since we met. I know you're not likely to believe me but talk to Naruto. He's upset by you not talking to him. He wants to explain."

"Oh, him I'll believe. Naruto could tell me that the knife just slipped out of his hand into your cold black heart and I'll believe him. You however..." Sasuke inwardly groaned.

"Naruto's been hurt before. Badly. His previous boyfriend..." Kiba was cut off by Sasuke's black tone.

"I know about _him_. Naruto told me," Sasuke replied with suppressed anger in his voice.

"Naruto...told you? Everything? Just like that?" Kiba looked stunned.

"Not exactly just like that. He was beginning to remember what happened at the party. He remembered Sai being there. So he told me what had happened between them." Kiba watched Sasuke's hands clench and unclench. He thought that maybe Sasuke was a little more genuine than he'd originally thought.

"He's not a nice person," Kiba said quietly. "To be honest if it was a choice between having you or him near Naruto, I think I'd choose you. I still don't like you though!" he hurriedly tacked on.

"That's fine," Sasuke said, only half listening. "What do you remember about the party?" Kiba looked confused at the question but answered it anyway.

"Uh, not much once I started drinking but Sai wanted to talk to Naruto at the beginning of the party."

"That's the bit Naruto remembered," Sasuke murmured. Kiba went on as if he hadn't heard.

"I don't know what was said but afterwards Naruto was kind of...different. Nervous. That's why he started drinking so much but it wasn't the usual kind of drunk." Sasuke's face darkened some more. Kiba was confirming what he already knew. The desire to make Sai a smear on the pavement was tempting. Kiba might even help. My enemies' enemies are my friends, after all.

"Anything else?" Sasuke prodded. Kiba paused, eyebrows furrowed as he tried to dig important information out of a drunken haze.

"I don't...I'm not sure. I only kept track of Naruto for the first hour or so. Actually...after that I don't think anyone knew where he was. Hinata went to look for Sakura and even Neji didn't know. Which is weird cause...well, Neji..." Kiba's face and reluctant tone made something else clear to Sasuke.

"He likes Naruto. I know," Sasuke said dully. Kiba gave a one shouldered shrug.

"I know, it's like, weird and shit. But he's Naruto's friend and Naruto won't do anything about it so it's not exactly our business," Kiba explained. "But I did see Naruto once. It was about midnight. He was shirtless and he went...here, I'll show you." Kiba got up and Sasuke curiously followed him through his own house. Kiba had to stop a few times to try and orientate himself but finally he led Sasuke through the kitchen to the hallway.

"It was about here," Kiba said, pointing. "He went down this passageway to the end and he disappeared. It was selfish but I didn't follow him. I thought that with the Sai thing he might want to be alone and...where are you going?" Sasuke was moving again, this time following his own directions, the path Naruto took as clear as day. He turned at the end of the hallway and silently opened a door.

"What's in there?" Kiba tried to peer around Sasuke to see the room inside. "Hey, move!" But Sasuke wouldn't. What he could see wasn't visible to anyone else but it scared him all the same.

Kiba looked through the crook of Sasuke's elbow but as Sasuke was staring at something that wasn't there it was pointless.

"Why are you..." his voice trailed off when he saw Sasuke's face. "Sasuke. What do you know that I don't?"

"A lot," Sasuke replied quietly without a hint of sarcasm.

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"No," Sasuke said before shutting the door.

X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X

"Where's Naruto?" Sakura sat up suddenly. She'd had no reason for it when her mind had previously been filled with sunlight and tall glasses of diet coke. But for some reason, now, she felt uneasy. The thing inside her stirred...no, it couldn't have. It was too young, too small. She placed a hand over her stomach, covered by a large t-shirt that was actually Naruto's. Maybe it was Naruto's scent that had suddenly made her worry.

"Not here, remember?" Shion said lazily, without opening her eyes.

"Yes, but..." Sakura trailed off and her fingers curled on her abdomen. Lately she'd been feeling less resentful towards the creature growing inside her. Protective of it even. How could that be so? She hated it...but it was so small. She knew about pregnancy after hours of research. How could she hate something that was so dependent on her?

Shion stretched. "Sakura," she pleaded. "It's hot. Can't you go get us some drinks?" Sakura pouted.

"Why can't you go?"

"I asked first," Shion wheedled. "C'mon, it's too hot to stay out here any longer. Actually, bring the cooler, then we won't have to move again."

"How about we both get up? You do the drinks, I'll make lunch." Shion thought about this for a moment and then scowled as she remembered how stubborn Sakura was. "Fine," she gave in. "There's cans of cokes in the big fridge downstairs. Could you do bacon sandwiches?" Sakura pulled a face.

"Isn't it too hot for that?"

"You don't want one?"

"I was thinking BLTs might be better." The two girls were grateful for the cool kitchen. Sakura leaned inside the fridge a little longer than necessary getting out lettuce, bacon, mayonnaise and tomatoes. Being in the sun too long has made her sweaty and pink.

"Ugh," she said, catching sight of herself in the window. Not so much beach goddess as Patrick the starfish pink. Thankfully, no one except for Shion was around to see her. Ino and Shikamaru had gone to see Kurenai and although she had no idea where, Kakashi, Naruto and Kiba were all out too.

She hurried making the sandwiches as her stomach growled unpleasantly. Everything was ready quickly enough except for the bacon. Sakura blew a strand of hair out of her eyes in irritation. The oven was making the kitchen hot so she wandered downstairs to the basement to find Shion.

"Shion?" she called, hovering cautiously at the top of the stairs. They were old and Kakashi kept putting off replacing them. Going down them was treacherous and only the boys dared go downstairs when they needed something out of the large freezer and fridge that was kept down there.

"I can't find diet coke!" Shion yelled up the stairs. Sakura carefully edged her way down it, holding onto the banisters with both hands.

"Isn't regular coke fine?" Sakura said, joining Shion.

"There's Sprite," Shion said doubtfully.

"Anything cold is fine, let's go. The bacon should be done soon."

"Thank God, I'm starved," Shion cheered as they climbed the stairs, taking several cans between them. Shion shut the door behind them as Sakura made a dash for the bacon.

"Ooh, crispy," Shion said, peering over Sakura's shoulder.

"I really hope that wasn't Shion code for 'burnt,'" Sakura said through gritted teeth.

"Crispy is crispy," Shion said serenely. "Has mine got enough mayonnaise on it?"

"Enough to sink the Titanic," Sakura said, expertly picking the strands of bacon up with a fork.

Shion opened the door to the right of the kitchen which led to the garage. There were only three cars in here as in the middle of the city it was rarely needed. There was the boys' car which all three had clubbed together and bought second hand for trips to visit their parents. Shion's car was a shiny new Volvo, a seventeenth birthday present from her parents but oddly, she never used it. It was referred to as the girls' car but Shion herself had never even driven it out of the garage. Finally there was Kakashi's car. He had several others, usually flash sports cars he got bored of within months and traded in, in his house outside of the city. Everything else in here was things rarely used: bikes, old roller-skates, tins of paint and Shion dug around until she found the cooler.

"This is way better," Shion sighed when they were outside again, her Sprite can between her knees and her plate resting on her stomach.

"You have mayonnaise on your chin," Sakura pointed out. She bit into her sandwich and it immediately fell out of her mouth as she heard a crash.

"Shion?" There it was again: the glassy eyed stare. Shion's face was paler than it usually was, her mouth ever so slightly parted. There was a strand of lettuce of her thigh.

Thankfully Sakura had seen this enough times not to panic. However...twice in a month? That was unusual. Shion's visions were disturbing but rare.

With a gasp, Shion slumped in her deckchair. Sakura quickly handed her the Sprite can and Shion tipped its contents into her mouth.

"What did you see?" Sakura asked quietly, picking up bits of tomato and bacon from around them.

"I'm not sure exactly," Shion confessed. "There was water. Over flowing."

"Over flowing from what?" Sakura asked urgently. Shion rarely saw something trivial. She'd foreseen that Sai was not what he seemed and Asuma's death. However the visions were usually obscure and could almost never be prevented. Naruto's heartbreak and Kurenai's lonely house reminded Shion of how useless her visions were. Useless and traumatising.

"A bath."

"Whose?"

"I don't know!" Shion exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "It's a bath! White, shiny, a bath! I'm sorry but I can't see much more than that. I think someone's in it but I can't tell if it's male or female, I don't know where the bath is or what's going to happen! It could be anything, Sakura! Kurenai could give birth alone in the bath! Kakashi could have a heart attack! One of us could slip and..."

"Ssh, ssh," Sakura soothed. "It's fine. We'll tell the others, ok? They'll keep a look out." Shion settled back into the chair.

"Sakura?" she asked in a small voice.

"Yes?" Sakura replied, although she knew what was coming.

"Could you make me another sandwich?"

X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X

A little shorter than my usual, sorry. But I'm having a crap day. My ovaries hate me, my head hurts, I failed my exams, I have to go back to work experience which I HATE and lastly my father called and made me feel crap. Any love you're capable of sending would be awesome.

And due to all above crap I haven't updated for a while.

And I'm sorry it's all foreshadowing. I DON'T DESERVE YOUR LOVE!

Give it to me anyway cause I've had a crap day? .

Oh! One final thing! To a reviewer from way back – I'm sorry the summary is kind of...cliche ~laughs~ but I've very glad you decided to take a chance on this and liked it. I'm no good at summaries. If anyone has a better one I'd love to hear them.


	10. The agony of guilt

"Hey, Shion." Shion didn't even turn her head to look at Naruto come in the door. Her hair was spread about her like a halo: with her long white nightdress she looked like an angel. Except the expression on her face was anything but serene.

"You ok?" She smiled weakly.

"I've been better. How was your day?" Naruto paused as he sat next to her on the bed. There wasn't anything about his day that he could tell her. It all related to Sasuke and he'd made a promise to her: which he'd already broken countless times. Naruto's hand drifted guiltily to the hickey on his neck, hidden by his hoodie. He'd told Sasuke to not mark him but Sasuke had gotten carried away.

"The usual," he lied. "You didn't get burned like Sakura?" He pinched the skin on her forearm between his fingers and she smacked him.

"I told her to put more sun cream on," Shion said reproachfully. Naruto laughed.

"She never listens. She'll look like a lobster for the next few days, that's for sure. Uhm..." Shion knew that sound.

"She told you," she said dully. Naruto had the decency to look sheepish.

"Yeah. She said you'll tell us what it's about later. She only told me you'd had an 'episode' so I could come and talk to you. She said you were upset." Shion didn't answer for a long time. Naruto saw her bite her lower lip and chew on it until it was red. Finally she stopped just when Naruto thought she would bite it off. She turned her head sideways and Naruto almost jumped. Her eyes were red from crying and were again brimming over with tears. Her mouth was also red, raw from her worrying. But mostly it was her complexion...her expression. For someone who had been in the sun all day her face was whiter than a ghost's.

"Naruto, these visions are ruining my life," she sobbed. Her hand reached out to grip his knee and he placed a hand on her back.

"It's ok..." he soothed. She sat up, unusually ungraceful. Her nose was running and her eyes were bloodshot.

"No, it's not!" She shrieked. "I mean after everything...what happens when you all get fed up of me? I don't have anywhere else to go..."

"What do you mean? Your parents live outside the city, not that far away..." His voice trailed off.

"Oh," he said quietly. Shion made a noise like she was choking and rolled over onto her back again.

"So now you know," she said in a lifeless tone. "I lied." Naruto twisted his body away from her and stared at Shion's floor. There was a pink bra underneath his foot. Naruto discreetly tried to shove it under the bed.

"I didn't bring myself here. My parents made me," Shion said casually like she was telling Naruto about something that had happened at school. "The first few times I had visions no one listened to me: I was too young. Ramblings of a six year old don't mean much. Then by the time I was older they started happening more. But my parents still didn't believe me. I went to therapists, doctors, clinics. They were convinced something was wrong with me." Shion laughed at the irony. Naruto did not.

"So that's why a few years back they brought me here. They'd seen Kakashi's advert. Packed up my stuff and left me here while you were all at school. They couldn't take it anymore." Shion's eyes unfocused. She was seeing something that Naruto couldn't. "I guess they never thought about the fact that I couldn't take it either," she said ruefully.

"I'm sorry," Naruto said finally.

"That's ok," Shion gave a one shouldered shrug.

"Did you ever find out why you have these visions? I mean, this isn't..." Naruto caught himself just in time but strangely Shion just smiled.

"Normal? No," she sighed. "We could never find any reason for them. My family – the females anyway – thousands of years ago were priestesses. They were supposed to have great powers of healing and protection. Sometimes they even had visions. My parents dismissed it as ridiculous of course. They were certain I had some mental disease or tumour or something," Shion said bitterly.

"But you believe it, don't you?" Naruto pushed.

"I do. The only thing that kept me going when everyone thought I was a freak was to do research about them: all those priestess, my ancestors. Nobody ever thought they were freaks. But they existed. The most famous of all had my name," Shion said dreamily. "She was supposed to be the most powerful of all. Sometimes I thought...but that's stupid," Shion backtracked hurriedly.

"That you might be her reincarnation," Naruto finished her sentence. Shion dragged her white sleeve across face, rubbing at her eyelids furiously. Streaks of black make-up came away with it.

"Is that stupid?" she asked, sitting up. Naruto shifted so their backs pressed against one another.

"I don't think so. Maybe you were named 'Shion' for a reason." Naruto could almost hear Shion's brain ticking away.

"I should go tell them, shouldn't I?" she said. Her voice had notes of reluctance in it and the standard Shion petulance.

"Yes, you should," Naruto said firmly. She got up and noticed the marks on her sleeve. She would have normally rushed to wash them out: today she just listlessly picked at them before looking up at Naruto.

"Let's get this over and done with," she muttered.

X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X

The kitchen fell silent. It was the kind where everyone stopped talking at once. Shion wrung her hands, waiting. Naruto was perched on a chair, rapt. After all he had not heard the details of the vision before. A part of him was grateful it wasn't anything more about him and Sasuke. Like the older boy, he wasn't sure their relationship could take it.

"Another one?" Kiba said finally. "But that's two in..."

"A month," Shion said miserably.

"But...that's never happened before! It's always a lot longer between your...um, vision things," Ino protested. Shion rolled her smudged eyes at Ino's articulacy. Kakashi leaned back in his chair, his visible eye narrowed.

"Shion only ever sees things that put us in immediate harm or are potentially damaging to us, both emotional and physical traumas," he thought aloud. "So maybe the only reason you had another vision is because something has changed...and now one of us or someone close to us has had their future changed?" There was a pause while everyone processed this.

"So...you mean before Shion had the vision, one of us wasn't in danger. But then something changed and now it's different," Shikamaru dumbed it down for Kiba and Naruto who had identical faces of confusion.

"Exactly. The things Shion sees always come true," Kakashi said grimly.

"But they can't be prevented either!" Shion burst out. "Telling you all won't help! Something bad will happen and there's no way to stop it! We don't even know what it _is_!" Ino laid a hand on Shion's shoulder.

"No, but we can all be careful, right? If it changed so suddenly maybe it can change back," Ino suggested. Shion furiously brushed Ino's hand away.

"God, why aren't you getting it?" she demanded, storming out. Kakashi rubbed his neck.

"I'm getting too old for this," he complained. Naruto got out of his chair and slid out of the kitchen after Shion.

He rapped his knuckles on her bedroom door but there was no answer. He risked Shion's anger and disobeyed a direct order by opening it to check inside. No Shion. That's when he knew where she'd be.

She was perched on the edge of the bath. Her long blonde hair hid her face but Naruto knew what kind of expression would be on her face. He'd seen it only minutes before, as she'd rubbed her eyeliner all over her face.

"It's not your fault. Stop feeling guilty," he said abruptly, sitting next to her. She sniffled pathetically.

"It is. It's these bloody...whatever they are."

"Visions," Naruto said wearily. He'd heard this too many times before. Shion had a great many names for her...gift.

"No, visions, proper visions are a little bit more than...seeing a mobile phone or a bathtub. Two people on a living room floor. People who have actual visions can usually stop people they care about getting hurt."

"Maybe you can." Shion snorted derisively but he cut her off.

"No, maybe you really can! C'mon, listen to me. I've been thinking about this since I broke up with Sai. Maybe you're not thinking about the bigger picture, just worrying about the nitty gritty little stuff."

"You're not making any sense," she said, reaching for the toilet roll and pulling off a chunk.

"I am. Shion, think about it. You seeing that phone was what gave me the idea to check Sai's messages."

"But you got hurt. He cheated on you and you found out in the worst possible way..." Shion murmured.

"Instead of what? Getting in really deep and finding out an even more brutal way, like them in bed together? Or that he'd done something even worse? What if you had that vision because if you hadn't I might really be in danger? Sai's not a nice guy. Something bad _could_ have happened to me. But it didn't. My heart got trampled on a bit but I'm ok now." Shion still looked doubtful but there was something shimmering in her eyes. Hope. That it wasn't her fault. It wasn't a curse.

"But what about..." Her face fell as she remembered the time one of her visions had resulted in death.

"I've been thinking about that too. But...Shion, I don't think you were meant to save Asuma," he said gently.

"But Kurenai's all alone...and Shikamaru blames himself." Naruto winced. He remembered the funeral too well. Shikamaru's pain had been so great that he'd locked himself in his room for days. He hadn't spoken, hadn't slept. The only thing that had been able to save him was the child in Kurenai's womb: half of Asuma.

"I know. But what I meant was the person you were meant to save wasn't Asuma...it was Shikamaru." Seeing her face blank Naruto pressed on. Shikamaru didn't blame Shion so she should stop blaming herself: after all, if he was right Shikamaru was here _because_ of her.

"If you hadn't had that vision and told Kiba, Shikamaru would have just gone by himself to that house. Shion, he's a kid! There were three men in there with guns and knives...do you think he would have made it out alive? I know Asuma's dead and you feel bad about that but the guys were caught and that wouldn't have happened if Kiba and Shikamaru hadn't known where to send the police to." Tears threatened to fall over Shion's eyelids and she pressed her eyes shut in an attempt to stop them.

"That's just two examples, Naruto. You don't know that the rest of my visions have been like that." Shion began stripping the toilet paper into tiny strips and letting it flutter to the floor. Naruto raised a hand and stroked a strand of hair away from her face., like she was a small child.

"I bet if you think about it, in all your visions, you've saved somebody. Maybe not the person you thought you were supposed to...but somebody." Shion sniffed and then smiled.

"Naruto? Thank you." He wrapped an arm around her and looked over his shoulder into the gleaming white porcelain bowl behind them.

"Maybe by giving us the clue about the bath one of us will do the right thing and find somebody when they really are in danger, or something. You know?" Shion smiled sadly.

"I hope so. But you can't explain the vision I saw of you with that guy on the living room floor." Naruto cut her off again, this time with a confused expression on his face.

"What do you mean? I was kissing Sasuke on the _kitchen_ floor," he insisted. He remembered the tiles pressing into his back, Sasuke's hips pushing against his own but Shion was shaking her head before he'd even finished his sentence.

"No, it was definitely a living room floor. There was a dark blue carpet and a sofa behind you. He was underneath you and you were holding him...cradling his head actually." Naruto bit his lip. Sasuke's parents' house had a white carpet. The vision took place in a place he hadn't visited yet. Sasuke liked blue: maybe his apartment?

"So...the vision you had hasn't happened yet." Shion let the last of the tissue paper fall from her fingers.

"I guess not," she said and they watched the tissue fall to the floor.

"So what does it mean?"

But Shion said nothing.

X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X/X

Yes, mostly filler. And shorter than usual. But yay, Shion! ~big Shion fan~

I don't like the first part. Was it ok?

I managed to dump some back story and pretty serious hints in there too. Actually, go me.

Also, thanks for all the love guys. Things were kind of bad this morning – people yelling – and reading all your reviews made me feel so much better.


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